The Only One For Me
by SereneMelodies
Summary: FEB 23TH: CH3 FINALLY UP! To help his twin sister, Kuroko Tetsuya takes her position at the altar for the sake of a company transaction, despite the fact that he's a man. Socially awkward and terrible at expressing himself, he is the complete opposite of charismatic, eloquent Kise Ryouta...Contains romance, humor, drama, cross-dressing. T for now. Yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

**The Only One for Me**

**For Mitsucchi-chan~  
**

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone~! I'm still working on my AoKuro fic ,Then I Found You, but I really wanted to get this out there! Tell me if/how you like it! Reviews are greatly appreciated (like, A LOT! XD They keep me going when I'm having writer's block).

**Warnings (more like things you should just know): **It might be a little (a lot) fluffy and cheesy. And dramatic. And OOC. And fast-paced. There's swearing/cursing. Less plot based than relationship based (no _huge_ storyline here, more like slice of life kind of). Heavily romance and drama based. IT'S AU! The rating may be changed to M later but it is T for now.

This is a largely explanatory chapter, so I'm sorry if it's a bit dull…

**Heads up: **Kuroko is 22 (will graduate university soon) and Kise is 23 (just graduated); I dunno how that math works, but that's how I'm making it :D

* * *

_Chapter 1 – In which Kuroko ends up in a bizarre situation_

_ (Also in which Kise finally takes an interest in a person)_

* * *

Kuroko just couldn't do anything about it. It wasn't as if he actually liked being called the "Ice Queen" on campus or accused of having a heart of stone by both men and women. They simply thought he never felt any emotion and assumed he wanted to be left alone all the time because he was so introverted and came off as aloof. The worst thing about it was that people often forgot he was a fraternal, not an identical, twin which was the reason why he was called a _queen_ in the first place. They always guessed – incorrectly, of course – that he was a girl like Tsukina, since apparently no one thought he was very masculine.

He sighed. That didn't change the fact that he was a guy, though. He stared at the mirror in the bathroom he shared with his sister, watching the reflection of his pale, impassive face. After yet another restless night, the dark bags under his eyes seemed to get worse than he ever thought possible. If only he could ignore all the comments he heard behind his back…

He tried to smile, tried to frown, failing both times. His facial muscles simply refused to cooperate with him. When he felt any kind of emotion, it very rarely showed on his face. He just couldn't express what he felt. What was he supposed to do about it?

With unusual frustration, he turned on the water and splashed his face in hopes that it would make him feel a little calmer.

And anyway, did he really look so much like her? Fraternal twins weren't supposed to look the same. It was biologically impossible…and yet…

"Tetsuya!"

His head snapped up and he whipped around, his thoughts suddenly interrupted by seeing the horrified face, one that so closely resembled his own. Startled, he took a step backwards, nearly crashing into the stacks and piles of neatly organized beauty products lined up. "Tsukina?"

"I can't do this, Tetsuya. Please help me…" She grabbed his hands and glanced at him with the wounded look in her eyes that she knew he couldn't ignore. "Can you do me a huge favor? Please?"

He said nothing, waiting for her to get to the point.

"Dad wants me to marry someone I don't even know!" she wailed.

He blinked. "But…"

_You already knew that you'd get married soon. I mean, he was warning you for a while now. Plus, he's been telling you something like this would happen since you were in middle school…_

_What can I do for you? _

"Seriously, Tetsuya! I knew it all along but now he's really treating me like a…like a brood mare or something! He's just going to hand me over to some guy for the sake of a company transaction! What kind of warning prepares you for this kind of thing?" she cried, easily reading his thoughts. He was no good at talking, but she understood him perfectly even when no one else could. It became the reason why he depended on her so much in the first place.

He nibbled on a fingertip the way he sometimes did when he tried to sort out his thoughts.

Their father was the president of Seirin Company, an extremely successful and powerful name in the business world for who-knew-what reason. Neither of the twins cared much, since they knew they wouldn't inherit it – their stepbrother would. They could do as they pleased, but their father wanted to use them as bargaining chips to expand the company's influence even more.

Kuroko knew well that this kind of arranged marriage system was still quite prevalent, especially in the so-called "upper class society" they lived in, but he didn't expect that it would be so cliché, didn't expect that their father would turn out to be such a stereotypical CEO.

He gave up trying to comfort her since the words and thoughts all jumbled up in his mind. "Sorry…?"

Impatiently, she dragged him to her room and all but threw him on to her bed, locking the door behind her. She plopped down right in front of him and shook him by the shoulders, snapping at him, "Look, this is a guy I've never even met. I don't know his name and he doesn't even know mine. We know _nothing _about each other! Can't you be a little more concerned for me?"

"What should I do?" Kuroko asked, puzzled and equally overwhelmed by her aggression.

_You know you're on better terms with Father than I am, so why don't you ask him not to force you into it?_

"All I want to do is continue studying in the medical field. You know that. And for the first time ever, he won't listen to me…I don't want my dream ruined because I have to marry some guy and become a housewife for the rest of my life." She rubbed her face wearily with her hands, suddenly looking a decade older. "I'll just get straight to the point, then. Tetsuya, _please…"_

He looked at her blankly, curious to hear what he could possibly do for her to make her situation better.

"Can you take my place at the altar?"

An awkward silence settled over the room as his brain slowly registered what she was saying.

"Tsukina…" he said finally, in a flat tone of voice, the only indication of his shock being the slight flaring of his nostrils. "I'm a guy."

"You don't seem much like one," she said bluntly and he exhaled loudly. She quickly continued, "Besides, we're basically the same size! It'll work. It's always worked!"

"It's not funny, Tsukina," he said softly, chewing on his lip.

_No one would fall for it this time. If anyone were to find out, so many bad things could happen. Plus, I want to help but I can't go this far for you._

"Tetsuya, I'm serious. I have to meet the guy for the first time ever _today_. Dad just told me that he's already been planning the wedding for a _year_ without telling me _anything, _and _now_ he decides to tell me I'm supposed to get married in just a couple of days? I just can't handle this," Tsukina whispered, eyes beginning to fill with tears. "Come on, we can do this. How many times have we fooled others? We've tricked our own parents before. I can just cut my hair and we would look exactly the same. I'll pretend to be you and you can pretend to be me. It'll work out! _Please._"

Silence.

She got down on her knees and pleaded, with her eyes widening and tearing up. "I just want to finish med school! I'll do as much work as fast as I can and you can file a divorce later. I'm sure you'll be able to work things out with the guy. Please? If you had an ambition I like do, you know I would support you too! But you don't. So, Tetsuya…"

Another silence.

Kuroko's protest died in his throat as he ended up reluctantly nodding. He just couldn't say no, even as every fiber of his being begged him to reject the ridiculous plan. It was true that Tsukina really wanted to become a doctor and Kuroko didn't exactly know what to do with himself, other than to finish his last semester of college…

"Thank you! You're the best brother ever, of course~" she said, throwing her arms around him into a tight hug. She let go just as quickly, practically skipping over to her closet, leaving him feeling exhausted just by talking to her. "Since you're going to be me, you need to look as cute as possible…Make sure you have a higher pitched voice than usual, 'kay? It's a good thing I've got a relatively low voice, right?"

He sighed. His sister was like a whirlwind that swept everything up to her pace, himself included. She always got what she wanted, not that he had a problem with that or anything, since he wished for her to be happy. But sometimes…

She began flinging clothes towards him and he stared dumbly at the bright material that smacked him in the face.

"Wear everything I tell you and just act like a girl," she said brightly, so cheerful that he knew he had made the right decision. She was the older one but it felt good to help her out.

"While you meet the guy, I'll be getting my hair cut," she said as she finally decided on an outfit for him to wear. His eyes widened at the items of clothing.

Just what was he getting himself into?

[~ * ~]

Dear God. Did girls really wear these kinds of things?

He self-consciously tugged down the skirt that kept rising against his thighs, the cold air turning his legs an interesting shade of purple. They had gone through so much trouble, shaving his legs – which really looked…well, feminine, since he was on the slimmer side to say the least – as well as his armpits, strapping down some _things_ below the waist, and putting a padded A-cup bra around his thin chest.

It was a good thing he was wearing a sweater, otherwise he might have frozen to death.

Tsukina had been frustrated to find out that he was actually thinner than her and that, considering as how he had a slightly masculine build, he didn't fit into a lot of her clothes very well. Still, this was so incredibly embarrassing. What was even worse was that when Kuroko had looked at himself in the mirror at the end, he really _did_ look like a girl, short hair and all. It simply looked as if he had gotten a pixie cut, which wasn't too unpopular these days. Not to mention, his feet ended up with some sort of sparkly flats that were big on Tsukina but fit him rather perfectly, which was equally mortifying.

He couldn't believe he was cross-dressing.

Swallowing nervously, he pulled open the door to the luxurious restaurant where the meeting was supposed to take place. He took one step, a wave of heat washing over him, when a waiter came around.

"Have you made a reservation here?"

Kuroko bit his lip and nodded.

"Name?"

"Kuroko…" He stopped himself, wondering if he should say "Tsukina" or not, but the waiter seemed to understand, eyes widening at the powerful name.

"This way, please," the waiter said politely, leading him to the entrance of what appeared to be a private room.

"Thank you," Kuroko managed to say and the waiter merely smiled a little, nodding slightly, before going back to attend other things.

He pulled the handle and stepped in hesitantly, only to see a blond male sitting down casually in a chair, sipping from a glass. The man seemed relaxed but a strangely powerful aura emitted from him. He reminded Kuroko of a cat that was ready to spring at any moment.

At the click of the door shutting, the man looked away from the lakeside view that the window offered to glance over his way and stood up, approaching him with long strides.

The man was sinfully, almost unfairly handsome, with his blond hair perfectly framing his face, a patrician nose with a high bridge, and impossibly golden eyes with equally impossibly long eyelashes. Moreover, he filled out the suit perfectly with his broad shoulders and lean hips.

Kuroko was overwhelmed at the brightness that the man seemed to be radiating and he fought the urge to stare down at his shoes, tilting his head back to look at him properly. The man towered over him easily and Kuroko stepped back a little, his back hitting the door.

"How are you doing today? You look beautiful," the man said easily, taking a hand and kissing it lightly with a smile. "My name is Kise Ryouta. And you are…?"

The man's intense amber eyes seemed to see straight through him and he fidgeted with the skirt, feeling so nervous that he couldn't think straight. What if Kise found out their secret before the wedding? Tsukina and he both would get in so much trouble.

"Kuroko Tetsuya…" he found himself saying, so distracted by his thoughts that he replied instinctively with his own name.

_Holy crud, what did I just say?! I'm supposed to be _Tsukina_!_

There was a brief, almost unnoticeable silence before Kise chuckled. "Isn't that a pretty masculine name for such an adorable lady? In any case, nice to meet you, Kurokocchi."

He blinked. "Kurokocchi…?"

"It's how I give people nicknames. I hope you don't mind," Kise said, smiling. "I don't want us to treat each other like strangers when we'll be getting married soon. I'd prefer to be friends first, at least."

"Oh…" Kuroko sobered at that. Could he really go through with such a large deception? He didn't know if he could pull it off. At Kise's questioning expression, he simply nodded.

"Well, let's take a seat," Kise suggested, leading him by the hand over to the table. He let go only to pull out the chair for Kuroko and when he sat down, Kise pushed the chair in a little. After taking his own seat, Kise threaded his fingers together and leaned against his hands, staring straight at him.

"I-is something wrong…?" Kuroko chewed on his lip in worry. He swiped at his face reflexively, wondering if there was something weird on his face. Maybe it was the makeup that Tsukina insisted on putting on him that looked strange. Or even worse, maybe Kise had already found out what was going on.

But Kise just shook his head and simply asked, "What would you like to eat?"

Kuroko reached out for the menu but their fingers met instead as Kise had tried to hand it over to him. Surprised, Kuroko snatched his hand back and clamped his teeth down harder on his lip. By now he had probably consumed all the stuff Tsukina had dabbed onto his lips.

_Kise-kun's hand is…warm._

But he had already known that. Why was he getting so flustered _now_? Kise had already kissed his hand and everything…maybe the cross-dressing was actually making him feel like a real girl.

"A-Anything is fine," Kuroko murmured, staring at the window but not really seeing anything.

"I guess I'll choose for you then. Do you have any food allergies?"

The response came out of his mouth automatically. "Green onions and cashews."

Kise gasped, mouth forming a perfect O. "Cashews I can understand. But how do you eat tamagoyaki then?!"

"Without…green onions," Kuroko responded blankly, turning to look at Kise again, taken aback at the random question.

"Really?"

At the disbelief so blatant on Kise's face, Kuroko couldn't help but laugh a little. "Most people don't."

"No way!" Kise slumped. "I didn't know that…"

Kuroko took a sip of the water already poured out into his cup, saying nothing. It was interesting to see that Kise had a pretty playful side to him, since Kise appeared to be so gentlemanly and "well-bred" at first. He didn't seem like the kind of person that would force his wife to stay at home all day. Hadn't Tsukina been more than a little bit rash by assuming things before even meeting the person?

But looks could be deceiving, and Kuroko knew he had to be careful. After all, Kise Ryouta seemed to be the typical playboy, well-mannered and good-looking, someone who was probably the most popular kid in school or maybe a model somewhere. For all he knew, Kise could be the kind of person who juggles multiple girlfriends at once.

Kuroko blinked. Kise Ryouta…he had heard that name before, and not because he was some rich executive's son. He could have sworn there was someone at his college with the same name…

"You know, Kurokocchi…you can relax," Kise said calmly, his palm now cupping his cheeks, head tilted as if he was observing him. "I won't do anything to you. I'm nervous too."

Kuroko's eyes widened.

_How…how did you know that?_

He said nothing, however, his face probably portraying none of the confusion he felt inside as always. Even people that had known him for years had trouble figuring out what he was feeling and yet Kise had guessed so easily. But the blond himself didn't look nervous at all in the slightest, so maybe it was just something people said on "first dates".

Now that he thought about it, his first date was with a guy. Kuroko still had a little bit of trouble wrapping his mind around the idea, so he couldn't imagine how Kise would feel if he found out.

Which was why it was absolutely necessary to keep his secret.

When Kise pushed the button to call up a waiter and asked for certain dishes, Kuroko was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't really realize he was being stared at until his eyes finally met the topaz ones.

"What?" Kuroko said briskly, noticing belatedly that the waiter had already disappeared.

"You have beautiful eyes. They're so…blue," Kise said, grinning. "I kind of want to stare at them all day."

"You're weird," Kuroko blurted, immediately clamping his mouth shut. It was ridiculous to feel good at that kind of cheesy compliment but he couldn't help it. He could handle insults and badmouthing but it almost made him uncomfortable to hear such things. It was so incredibly embarrassing. His ears felt hot and he took another sip of the cool water, trying to calm himself.

"Yeah, maybe. But that doesn't make it any less truthful," Kise shrugged lightheartedly. "Well, tell me about yourself, Kurokocchi. I want to learn about you, see if we have anything in common."

"Um…I'm 22…senior at Teiko University…" Kuroko didn't know what to say. Talking about himself was one of the most difficult things.

"Oh, so you do go there," Kise mused. "I think I've heard about you."

Kuroko winced. He doubted that Kise had heard anything good about him.

"What are you majoring in?"

"Double major. Elementary Education. Economics."

"Econ because of your family, right?"

Kuroko nodded.

"Same here. But why elementary education?"

"I…like children…"

Kise chuckled. "If any other person had said that with such a straight face, I think I would freak out."

"Why?" Kuroko blinked, confused.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it," Kise coughed, as if fighting a laugh.

"Oh…okay…?"

"So you want to become a teacher, huh?"

Kuroko nodded again.

"Then you must be really patient. Don't kids ever…I don't know, annoy you?"

Kuroko thought about it. "Not really. There's always a way to communicate with them."

"The same doesn't apply for adults?"

"It's…harder," Kuroko admitted, then realized just how much information Kise managed to extract from him so effortlessly.

_This is…dangerous._

A knock on the door broke the sudden silence between them and they looked over to see the waiter roll in a cart. He set down the respective dishes, lifting the rounded silver covers and announcing the name of the food, which Kuroko paid no attention to. He was gone as fast as he had appeared.

"Ano…Kise-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Ten dishes…?" Kuroko stared at the completely plate-covered table.

The blond laughed easily. "I didn't know what to get so I decided to order everything that seemed good. So dig in~ Just so you know, I don't like girls that purposely eat less in front of guys to seem skinny. Besides, we're getting married, right? I want you to feel comfortable around me, though I can't do anything about it if you don't like who I am…"

"Okay...I understand. Itadakimasu," Kuroko said softly, putting his hands together briefly before picking up a fork. From what he could tell, Kise was really trying to make an effort to make things work between the two of them, despite never having met or talked to each other before.

"Itadakimasu."

Kuroko pierced a bowtie noodle from one of the dishes and ate it slowly, glancing over at Kise who smiled back at him. He nearly choked on the pasta and coughed lightly.

"Oh, I completely forgot to ask you! Did you want my jacket? I noticed you were a little cold when you first came in, but I forgot about it because I got distracted by…our conversation," Kise said, already beginning to take it off.

Before he could refuse, Kise walked around to his side and put the jacket around his shoulders. Kuroko was immediately enveloped in a slightly spicy, musky scent combined with a hint of a cologne of some sort, the additional warmth helping him relax a little more.

"T-thank you," Kuroko mumbled, wanting to curl into the jacket.

"No problem." Kise busied himself with cutting a steak into pieces, placing some of them on both of their plates. "I didn't know how we were going to eat this if one of us didn't cut it, so I just did. Hope you don't mind. But you don't have to eat anything you don't feel like, obviously."

Kuroko shook his head, eating one of the pieces slowly as he always did. He didn't know how Kise managed to be so polite while eating so quickly and he found himself staring at the golden-eyed male.

"Do you think I'm handsome when I eat?" he teased and Kuroko's eyes immediately lowered to stare at the dish in front of him. "Or maybe I have something on my face."

"N-neither," Kuroko said softly, continuing to eat.

A comfortable silence settled over the table as they finished up the meal. To Kuroko's shock, they had managed to eat all of it, leaving no leftovers at all. In his defense, Kise had eaten most of it. The waiter came back into serve them both some coffee, leaving immediately afterwards.

After adding cream and two cubes of sugar, Kuroko sipped lightly at the aromatic beverage.

"So…I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but I need to discuss our whole marriage prospects and such," Kise murmured, looking at him in concern. "For one thing, do you think we should break it off right now? I don't know how much you like or dislike me, and we've gone on exactly one dinner date. As in today. If you hate the thought of being married to me, just tell me. I won't be offended and I'm sure we'll be able to work things out with our parents."

Kuroko gulped. There was no way his father would ever forgive Tsukina if he bailed out. But he strangely didn't mind the idea of getting married to Kise. Probably a naïve thing to think, but…

He simply shook his head and Kise grinned.

"Whew, what a relief. At least this means you don't hate me."

Kuroko sighed and the blond chuckled.

"So my father has actually told me that the wedding has been set for the first day of your winter break, which I think is the day after tomorrow," Kise continued, playing around with the coffee cup. "The place, all the arrangements, everything's already set up by both of our parents. We have to go fit our rings today, but that's about it."

Kuroko felt overwhelmed but merely nodded.

"Now, what I wanted to ask was, what do you want out of this marriage? Any particular rules? Don't be embarrassed and just feel free to say it."

"I…can't think of any right now," Kuroko mumbled. "Well, other than…I don't want any possible fights to turn physical. I mean, violent."

"Mm. I was think the same thing. And…I don't want either of us cheating on the other," Kise said matter-of-factly. "If either of the two things happen, we should get a divorce, okay?"

"Okay."

Kise pouted. "I'm sorry to talk about such depressing things."

"Don't be. You're being…responsible," Kuroko said, cupping his hands around the mug, almost finished with the coffee. He bit his lip. "Do…do _you_ mind this?"

"The rules?" Kise asked, confused. Then his face cleared. "You're talking about the marriage, right?"

Nod.

"I've never been against the idea of marriage," he shrugged. "But I think it might be an interesting experience. We'll just have to see, right?"

All of this was so clinical, so professional. Kuroko wondered if this was normal. Then again, considering how their situations weren't, the average person probably didn't carry out their marriages this way, especially after knowing each other for less than a day.

Kuroko set down the cup on to the table, finished. "Thank you."

Kise simply smiled at him and offered an arm which he took albeit reluctantly. They left the private room and headed for the entrance of the restaurant.

"Ah…your jacket…" Kuroko tried to take off the jacket and hand it to him, but Kise stopped him.

"You're wearing a skirt," Kise said simply.

More than anything, that comment flustered him to no end. What exactly was he doing again, dressed as a girl? But he thought of Tsukina and pushed that issue aside.

After being in the warm restaurant for at least a couple of hours, the temperature outside was nearly unbearable for Kuroko, even with Kise's jacket.

As if on cue, Kise murmured into his ear, "Just a few minutes and we'll get to my car."

He shivered but said nothing as they went into the parking lot. Kise led him quickly over to the glistening vehicle that he couldn't dare to guess the price of. Kuroko was by no means poor, since he was a member of one of the richest families in Japan, but he never felt the need to live like one, so he was often starstruck by people who were considered his peers.

When they both got in, Kise immediately turned on the engine, waiting for the car to warm up. Kuroko reached for the seat belt but the blond stopped him, doing it for him instead.

_You're treating me like I'm going to break…_

Kise was so close to him that Kuroko suddenly had trouble breathing, eyelashes fluttering as he waited for Kise to return completely to the driver's seat.

"I'll tell you right now that what I just did…was just an excuse to get closer to you," Kise grinned and Kuroko immediately turned away to stare out the window.

How did Kise manage to say all these kinds of things without seeming the slightest bit embarrassed?

[~ * ~]

"We're here."

Kuroko frowned, hand reaching up to rub his eyes when he realized he still had some makeup on his face. He blinked, looking around him, only stare directly into Kise's eyes. He jumped a little in his seat and exhaled loudly.

"Didn't mean to scare you," Kise said. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Ah, sorry…" Kuroko swiped at the corners of his lips, completely disoriented.

"No, no, don't worry about it. You look adorable when you sleep," Kise chuckled before getting out of the car to open the door for him. "What kind of ring do you like?"

"…"

Kise incorrectly interpreted the silence. "Ah, maybe you don't really like rings?"

_Adorable..._

"I'm…not used to wearing any," Kuroko said honestly. They walked into the jeweler's and were immediate greeted by a cheerful and energetic woman.

"Welcome! How may I help you today? Oh, may I take a guess? You two are getting married soon!"

"Indeed," Kise said smoothly, offering her an easy smile.

"That's so exciting! Come this way, please. When men come alone, it usually means they're looking for an engagement ring, but when a couple comes together, they really want to have matching rings that fit well for the ceremony," she continued. "Traditional golden rings or silver? We also have other metals if you'd like."

She stared expectantly at the two of them but Kuroko had no idea how to choose this kind of thing. Surely gold would fit Kise better, since it would fit his blond hair and equally golden eyes…

"Silver would match you more," Kise smiled at Kuroko. He turned his attention to the woman. "Do you have a set that you recommend?"

The woman nodded happily, pointing out the two rings encased in a velvet box. One had a band of gold between two bands of bluish silver and the other was its inverse, the band of silver between two gold strands. An intricately carved design seemed to weave the bands together.

"Ah, Kurokocchi, if you're silver and I'm gold, this is would be so romantic," Kise teased and Kuroko gnawed on his lip, embarrassed. "It's like we would both have a little bit of each other."

"Aww," the woman said, immediately apologizing, though she couldn't stop giggling. "That is so perfect, especially because of your color compatibility!"

"Then we'll take this design, thank you," Kise said.

"Do you know your finger measurements?"

"No."

The lady took out a large variety of sample rings and told them both to try them on until something fit perfectly. Kise easily found his size and handed it back to her, but Kuroko was having trouble.

"My word, you have such beautiful fingers," the woman said to Kuroko, completely genuine in her admiration.

_Is that supposed to be a compliment when I'm a man…?_

He merely thanked her and continued trying them on until he managed to find the right size.

"Great!"

Kise smiled ruefully. "We need this in two days."

"S-sir, I'm afraid that's impossible-"

He pulled out his wallet and giving her his credit card. She swiped it in the register, doubtful, but gasped all of a sudden. "You're…"

"Shh," Kise whispered as she continued to gawk.

"Thank you for choosing this store!" she whispered back a little loudly. "We will definitely meet your deadline!"

"Thank you," Kise said before they left.

The brittle wind blew viciously as they returned to the sanctuary of the car, the inside of which was still on the warmer side.

"I'll take you home then. Wow, to think we'll be married in a couple of days…" Kise murmured more to himself than anything else. Kuroko said nothing as the blond drove on.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

[~ * ~]

_**An omake of sorts: Kise's POV some minutes before and after Kuroko entered the room…**_

**First Impressions**

Life was so dull.

It wasn't like Kise could do anything about it. He simply did everything so well that nothing posed as a challenge anymore. Perfect student, perfect son, perfect boyfriend. All throughout high school, he had gotten stellar grades, excelling in every sport that he actually set his mind to. College had been no different. Every professor had treated him like a god, whether it was because he was the son of the president of Kaijo Company or if it was because he was a model student, he didn't know or care. Everyone was so damned predictable. Girls were all the same, falling for his face first then claiming to love him when he treated them a little kindly. And when he wanted to end things, they clung on to him, refusing to let him go. Some more sweet talk and they would leave him alone eventually.

So. Damned. Boring. Wasn't there anything interesting left in the world?

That was why he had even agreed to this in the first place. He was up for anything that would cause a potential change in his life, regardless of the risks. Marriage had to be something different, right? And if it was so unbearable, it wasn't like there weren't ways to get out of one.

He had arrived ten minutes earlier than the assigned meeting time with some girl that his parents really wanted as their daughter-in-law, most likely because she wasn't hideous and had fantastic connections, namely the Seirin Company. Combining Seirin with Kaijo was strategically advantageous for the both of them, even if Kise couldn't marry the actual heir.

He shuddered. If he had to marry Akashi Seijuro…

Not that it was even possible. After all, Akashi was his friend and a _guy._ Even if that was legal, he would never be able to see Akashi in that way.

_Ugh._

The door clicked shut and he snapped out of his thoughts to look over towards the entrance, only to see a short girl standing quietly, face completely emotionless but the fidgeting of her fingers giving her away just the slightest bit. Her shockingly blue hair only served to enhance the cerulean shade of her eyes, face small and flawless. Every part of her seemed to be slender.

He approached her as slowly as he could and he realized he towered over the slim figure easily. She actually wasn't all that short, but something about her struck him as fragile, delicate, something to be treasured. As if she was made of glass. Or ice, for that matter…

Which was interesting because the slightly baggy sweater should have made her seem bigger. Instead, it had the opposite effect. In all honesty, he had expected a woman in a ridiculously expensive designer dress, so this came as a complete surprise to him.

She bumped against the door, her face still impassive but her eyes conveying some sort of emotion he couldn't read. Perhaps he was just overthinking things.

He introduced himself easily, the way he did with most females…when he finally learned her name.

Did she just say she was Kuroko Tetsuya? As in, Kuroko Tetsuya, the Ice Queen, the infamously cold person who was almost legendary on campus for not showing a single emotion? Every kouhai of his warned him of this infamous girl. No wonder he had gotten the impression that she was an aloof sort of person…but she didn't come off to him as someone who could be heartless. Perhaps the rumors were wrong. Then again, he couldn't base everything on first impressions.

Still, to think that he would end up with a woman like her, to think that Kuroko Tetsuya was going to be his _wife_ in a matter of days...

Just what had he gotten himself into?

* * *

**Author's Note: **It's fast-paced, yes, but I like fluff, plus Kise's really outgoing so it helps~ They will get married in the next chapter XD I hope you enjoyed it!

-smiles, then runs away in embarrassment–


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Holy…Thank you all so much for supporting this fic, everyone! :O I am astounded by all the kind reviews, by the numerous (and equally wonderful) follows and favorites. You guys really inspire me :D I hope you all have fun with this chapter…

It's really…crack-y? XD Just warning you ahead of time. Also, I have no idea how weddings actually work, so I did my best to try and infer from what I "know" and what I imagine it to be like…

Well, enjoy~!

**The Only One for Me**

* * *

_Chapter 2 – In which the marriage takes place_

* * *

"Tsukina, _darling_, what did you do to your face? J-just look at these _horrible_ dark bags under your eyes, honey pie! Oh dear, oh dear…"

Inside the massive room where the bride was supposed to be getting ready, there was a whirlwind of action, men and women alike shuffling back and forth, shouting out one thing or another on their Bluetooth headsets and tapping away furiously on their Blackberries or smartphones or whatever other devices people used to communicate. So many people, so many sounds.

Kuroko fought the urge to sigh. His head ached from the lack of sleep and people were just so _loud._ Every sound caused his head to thump like there was a bass drum up in his brain, Energizer bunny style. His eyelids seemed to weigh a ton each, yet he wasn't feeling tired in the slightest. In fact, he was wide awake. Well, mentally anyway. Physically, his body just about screamed for rest.

"I don't know _how_ I'll be able to hide those," the legendary makeup artist muttered, grabbing one beauty product after another and smearing things on his face. "At least your skin is clean, which is good. And your wide blue eyes make my life so much easier. But you still look like a _raccoon!_ Couldn't you have tried to get a good night's rest the day before your own wedding, sugar?"

He said nothing, merely yawning as politely as he could.

"Ah, well, I suppose you were probably nervous, right? After all, you're getting married to _Kise Ryouta _of all people. You really must have some luck, snaring the most eligible and well-qualified bachelor around…"

At that, Kuroko froze. He really didn't want to think about it, especially considering that Kise – assuming he was like any other healthy, young male – would probably want to do things to his bride that normal newlywed grooms wanted to do. Except for the fact that Kuroko was hardly qualified to be a _bride_. It would be so incredibly awkward if Kise were to find out that his wife wasn't really a wife but…

Would one call Kuroko a husband because he was a guy? Or would he still be the wife?

In any case, he was still in _way_ over his head. But it was too late to back out now. Besides, Kise seemed like a nice enough guy. Maybe if Kuroko were to explain the situation…

Yeah, no. That could never work, but just how long could a deception like this last? They had promised to stay faithful and non-violent towards each other no matter the situation. Maybe that would no longer apply if Kise were to find out he'd been tricked this way.

And somehow the thought of Kise hating him forever was a little painful. Well, in his defense, he didn't want _anyone_ to hate him, but…

"The wedding begins in less than 15 minutes now," a person popped by, warning all those who were frantically working, though for what Kuroko still didn't really know.

"We need to get her dress on," the stylist demanded, jabbing the makeup artist in the shoulder with a long, bony finger. "Hurry up with the makeup."

"You have no idea how hard it is to be me right now!"

Was this how all weddings went? He could have sworn weddings only turned out this way in dramas and, well, in anything but reality. Then again, two major companies merging through a marriage would probably make it on the news headlines. Not to mention most people wanted Tsukina as their daughter-in-law, since she was known to have a good reputation with her bright personality and cheerful attitude. On top of that, she was also smart.

Whereas he...

So much mystery apparently surrounded him, whether or not he was a girl or a boy, whether he could talk – which he couldn't really, not well anyway – that most people didn't really consider him a legible match for marriage. Only those truly desperate for the bloodline and company ties would even bother with him. And he was fine with that.

He just hoped that reporters wouldn't be allowed access. This was why it was so much better that Akashi was the heir to the company. The redheaded, calm, and sharply intelligent male handled the media extremely well, knowing exactly what to say or do in front of the camera. It was like he had them all wrapped around his little finger. Kuroko on the other hand…

"Fine, fine. Just take her and put the dress on!" the makeup artist gave up, relinquishing her hold on him and all but shoving him to a person who whisked him away.

_Wait, holy shit! A dress?! Well, I knew that I'd have to wear one, but…_

"W-wait," he said softly, his voice not betraying the panic he was feeling inwardly. His words came out more slowly than usual and he found himself getting frustrated at his inability to express himself. "You're…not changing me…right? I…change by myself…?"

"But of course we are," the stylist said, sounding both exasperated and curious, as if he asked a bizarre question. Kuroko avoided her gaze. He couldn't help that he acted nothing like Tsukina, who already knew the stylist like a friend and vice versa. "We have to make adjustments to make sure you're still the same size you were several months ago when you ordered. I specifically told you to stay on a diet according to my health plan. You _did_ follow it, right? Besides, a wedding dress isn't something you can try put on your own."

He nodded reluctantly, chewing on his lip and tasting something fruity mixing with the metallic tang of blood from biting so hard. There was no way he could hide any of his privates below, though everything was strapped down flat. Plus, he was wearing a small, extremely padded bra to maintain the façade that he had breasts but it would be very obvious he had the pectoral muscles of a male, thin as he was. Underneath his carefully chosen clothes, he was clearly guy. What the hell was he supposed to do now?

She brought him over to a platform where he was unceremoniously hoisted on top of it.

"Now, sweetheart, take all your clothes off."

Where the hell was Tsukina? He looked around with a bit of panic. She _had_ to show up. If she didn't, he wouldn't be able to change and things would turn into an absolute mess. He coughed delicately as if he were having a fit, trying to waste time. The stylist tapped her toes against the ground rapidly, impatiently staring at him.

Two days ago, after Kise had dropped him off at their house, Tsukina had been nowhere in sight. Only a single note that read _I'll be there for the wedding!_ gave the slightest indication that she would even come in the first place. What she was doing, pretending like she was Kuroko Tetsuya and going around as a guy, he had no idea. But they would both be screwed if she didn't come.

His parents hadn't let him go to school for the last couple of days, saying he needed to get ready for the wedding and "look his best". He hadn't seen Kise since then, but he supposed that made sense, and it was for the better anyway.

He could only be thankful that family and friends had to wait out at the hall and couldn't see him like this.

Just then, the curtain surrounding the platform closed shut and he found himself face to face with his twin, who clutched the two sides of the curtains shut together. She was still dressed casually, with a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt that was slightly too large.

"What's going on?" the stylist shrieked, trying to pry the curtains apart.

"Sorry I took so long, Kuroko~!" Tsukina whispered brightly. "I had to take care of some stuff at for medical school. I sent in my registration in as 'Kuroko Tsukina' but the university that I'm going to is really isolated so no one will notice there's two of us in this country. Besides, I'm going to study abroad too as soon as I can. Of course, I can keep acting like you and have everyone call me Kuroko and just have my official documents and diplomas with my real name on it. I've also talked things out with our parents and they seem to believe that you're just going off to grad school and that I'm getting married. So don't worry about anything. Big Sis has everything figured out. All you have to do now is be patient and stick with the guy for the next couple of years. Anyway, just grab the dress. Feet first~!"

Remaining silent yet overwhelmed at her long explanation, Kuroko stripped out of his clothes (actually, they were _her _clothes) and concentrated on taking the sleek white dress off the mannequin carefully. Luckily, it wasn't too tight fitting though it was clearly meant for a slim person, namely Tsukina. A flowery design covered the majority of the chest, so when he managed to shimmy into the dress, it wasn't overly apparent that he had next to no assets.

Should he be disturbed that the dress fit so well? It was like he really had turned into a girl…

He stared at the mirror, unable to believe his eyes.

"Ah!" Tsukina cried out softly, interrupting his thoughts, as she was flung to the ground, the stylist having managed to yank open the curtains. She rubbed at her butt and Kuroko winced.

"What is going on here...Oh my gosh, the dress fits perfectly!" the stylist said happily. "I'm so proud of you!"

An awkward silence settled over the three of them and she finally seemed to realize that there were two of the twins there and that one of them was on the ground. Her eyes widened in horror.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the stylist pleaded, helping Tsukina up. "Were you holding it closed? I totally did not know that, I am SO sorry!"

"It's…fine…" Tsukina said slowly in a slightly lower tone of voice. Kuroko found himself once again admiring his twin sister's ability to imitate him.

The coordinators were allowed to talk to them informally because they were the same ones that were usually hired by and for their parents and Akashi, but they would normally be fired for doing something like that to a Kuroko, especially one of the twins, who were next in line to inherit Seirin. Families for such important groups were usually large, and Kuroko's was no exception. There were many on the waitlist to rule over the large company and if a stylist managed to harm those potential heirs, it was guaranteed they would probably never have a job again.

"Time to go, go, go!" another person popped by, shouting loudly and breaking the tension. Kuroko shot a worried glance at Tsukina who smiled at him winningly.

"You'll be fine," she mouthed, shooing him away with a slight wave of her hand. He was escorted out of the room and he arrived soon enough at the entrance of the hall where a broad figure of a man waited. He wasn't all that surprised to see that it was his father.

"I'm so proud of you, Tsukina. You look beautiful," his father said and Kuroko found himself disgusted by the compliment but strangely…

Sad.

He had long since given up on trying to maintain a good relationship with his father who hated him so much and yet he found himself wishing that his father would say something like that to him as Kuroko Tetsuya, not disguised as Tsukina.

Which was pathetic of him. He had given up trying to impress, trying to pretend that the relationship they had was a normal one…or at least that's what he'd thought.

Swallowing back the bile that rose in his throat, he said nothing and merely nodded, hesitantly taking his father's elbow and trying not to feel disturbed by it.

Marriage – and all that came with it – was indeed a roller coaster…

[~ * ~]

Kise waited impatiently at the altar. He didn't know why felt like the blood was boiling in his veins. Maybe it was because he was excited. Maybe it was because he was nervous. Maybe it was both. Whatever it was, he felt like he couldn't breathe and fought the urge to yank at his necktie. The people in the hall were all whispering to each other, waiting for the bride to make an appearance, but he couldn't discern anything. It was just a dull buzz in his ear, as irritating and unwelcome as a fly.

If he had to be honest, he hadn't been able to sleep well. The idea that his life would change – for better or for worse, he didn't know – was just too welcome. He thrived on novelty and he was rather unreasonably interested in how marriages worked, never having experienced it himself. Well, at least, not yet.

But that wasn't exactly the whole truth either.

If he had to be _really_ honest, it was rather embarrassing but he had been having some…dreams about a certain blue-haired girl. They weren't particularly erotic or anything in nature. It was simply that she was there, in his dream, doing very simplistic things like holding her hand out for him to hold, waving, smiling...which was really strange, since he hadn't actually seen her smile. Sure, he'd seen her laugh but it hadn't actually shown on her face. The sound of her laughter, he admitted, was nice. A genuine kind of laughter, low and husky.

It disturbed him more that he dreamed about her in an innocent way.

Which made him wonder, how would she look like in a wedding dress? He knew she was rather…unendowed when it came to the chest area, unless her sweater had managed to hide them from his view the last time he'd met her. He didn't think that was very likely. Not that he minded. It wasn't like he judged girls based on the size of their chest or anything.

Kuroko Tetsuya was a very cute sort of girl. Like a little doll that had to be well-taken care of or she would shatter into a million pieces. He didn't know why he kept getting this impression. Maybe it was just his overly masculine ideas of chivalry that insisted on making her some sort of damsel in distress, someone to protect…

Tch, what was he thinking? He didn't even know the girl…though he liked to think he did get to learn about her somewhat. Just some of the basic things. Like the fact that Kuroko chewed on her lips from habit. He didn't know what caused her to do so but she did that from time to time. Nerves, maybe? Anxiety?

He also knew that her hands were incredibly cold. Were they like that all the time? Allergic to green onions and cashews. Double major in Elementary Education and Economics. Wanted to teach. They were just bits and pieces of the person that he was going to find out more about.

Just then, the hall went completely silent, the sudden lack of sound yanking him out of his thoughts. Like metal attracted by a magnet, his head seemed to turn towards the doorway naturally, as if he already knew that his bride-to-be would be standing there.

And she…

His eyes widened.

Dear God.

With her face as impassive as he last remembered, she truly looked as though she could actually be the Ice Queen people so often called her. Her regal posture and slim figure only served to enhance the idea in his head that she was someone fragile.

_Beautiful._

"Look at her, she's so thin!"

"Don't you think her shoulders are kind of broad? It's almost manly…"

"That design does _nothing_ to cover that flat chest of hers."

"I know, right? And do you see those hideous shoes? How could she wear something so monstrous?"

"The shoes aren't the problem, the dress is!"

"The dress is nothing! Don't you see _her_?"

Kise's eyebrow twitched in irritation as he glanced over at the small group of women around Kuroko's age, gossiping near him, whispering in that oh-so-annoying way young girls often did. Their hands barely covered their mouths as they pretended to be quiet. They sure had guts, since the woman in question was walking down the aisle at that very moment with her extremely powerful father.

But more than that…why did they see something so differently than he did?

Her sky blue hair brightly contrasted the pure white of her dress, which brought out the cerulean color of her eyes. Such a pale, slender throat, such delicate collarbones…

Was it just him? Was he the only one that thought she was, for lack of a better word, lovely? And they seemed to imply that being thin was a bad thing but he didn't really see it that way at all. Plus, he liked to think that Kuroko wasn't just some empty shell of a person that really had no emotions, even if she came off that way at first.

He wanted to think she was simply being misunderstood. There was nothing wrong with that. It simply would take a little more patience. But if he was getting married to her, he would have a lifetime to work on that. Hopefully.

He really sincerely wanted this marriage to be a successful one. Not in terms of business or financial value but between the two of them. Being friends with your spouse was often more than what one got in today's world, especially considering this was an arranged marriage.

And before he knew it, the chairman of Seirin went to sit down at his designated seat and left Kuroko to take the final couple of steps like he was supposed to let her do…when she walked forward just the slightest bit and tripped on the hem of her own dress. He didn't miss the horrified look flash in her eyes as he instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist to make it seem like he was impatient to get married to take the scrutiny off her a little. He brought her around to the right place and found himself letting go of her reluctantly.

She was surprisingly firm. He knew Kuroko was thin, but he hadn't expected such, well, defined muscles. Kise shrugged a little to himself. For some reason, he had thought she'd be a little soft but instead she was very well-toned.

And that look of terror…it had animated her face so much, the illusion of the impassive mask falling to pieces. Would he ever be able to evoke that kind of expression with a happier emotion? How would Kuroko really look?

"Oh my, Kise seems to really like the girl," one fond relation of his said a little off in the distance and he chuckled. Leave it to his somehow-related-to-him aunt of sorts to say that kind of thing so loudly.

"T-Thank you," Kuroko whispered, quickly regaining balance and standing properly in front of him. He refocused his attention on her, the soft words making him smile.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it. Are you that nervous?" he murmured back.

"I…" Words seemed to fail the girl as she decided to just nod.

_So…_

"It's okay. I'm nervous, too. You look absolutely stunning, by the way."

Kuroko completely broke off eye contact, staring down at the ground. "No…"

_Cute…_

Kise blinked but said nothing as the wedding official began his speech.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Kise Ryouta and-"

A loud shriek of the microphone failing covered up the words and the official looked appalled. He attempted to start over again, only to meet the same disastrous sound. It was almost like someone was deliberately doing it, but Kise paid little attention to it, only looking straight forward at his wife-to-be, who seemed strangely agitated.

Though, in all honesty, it could just be a figment of his imagination.

"-in matrimony commended to be honorable among all; and therefore is not to be entered into lightly but reverently, passionately, lovingly and solemnly. Into this - these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together - let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

Silence.

The official continued to talk on and on for what seemed like an eternity until he finally addressed Kise. "Do you, Kise Ryouta, take-"

Another shriek.

"-to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do," Kise responded seriously, suddenly feeling nervous.

"And do you-"

Yet another shriek.

"Will someone please fix this damned microphone?" the wedding official finally blurted and people began laughing, relieving the tension that began to rise in the room. Apparently people were just as nervous for this formal ritual as the two of them were.

Exasperated, the man continued to talk, giving up on trying to say Kuroko's name.

"-take Kise Ryouta to be your husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I…I…do," Kuroko said softly, chewing her lower lip so hard that Kise winced.

A well-dressed boy who looked no older than ten brought the box with the two rings in it. With somewhat trembling hands, Kise picked up the more silvery ring and slipped it on to her slim finger. For some reason, the sight of her hands shaking even more than his made him grin and she finally managed to put the other one on him.

He smiled at her as gently as he could, feeling the girl's anxiety radiate from her stiff figure despite her calm facial expression.

"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Kise swallowed, the strangest thoughts going through his head. Did he brush his teeth? Yes. Twice, in fact. Mouthwash too. He hadn't been able to eat anything, so that was good. Was that good? Maybe not, since he was starting to get somewhat of a heartburn. Or was that just him being nervous?

Shoving his thoughts aside, he took a step forward, leaned in, and just lightly pressed his lips against hers.

_Definitely not boring. Not at all…_

[~ * ~]

Kuroko should have expected it. After all, the wedding official himself had announced it, that the bride was to be kissed. Besides, every marriage ended with something like that, so there should have been no surprises there. If he had to go this far to help his twin, so be it. That's what he had thought, yet he'd still been caught off guard.

His eyes had instinctively closed shut as soon as he saw Kise approaching him, looking completely cool, calm, and collected. Really, nothing could have prepared Kuroko for something like this.

Because it was his first kiss.

It wasn't much more than just putting a pair of lips together for a brief second, but to him it was a shocking experience. As a person often mistaken to be a girl, he had never had the chance to actually get to talk to any females in a romantic way. And guys never bothered with him because he was supposedly the Ice Queen and whatnot.

He gulped, barely hearing the crowd of people cheering and talking in the background.

_Kise-kun's lips are soft…_

That wasn't the kind of thing he was supposed to notice. Or particularly enjoy, for that matter. Yet he couldn't help it. He was now _married_, to a guy no less, and his _husband_ had taken his first kiss.

Just why did it feel so natural?

Kuroko's eyes fluttered open, widening as the blond pulled away with such a bright expression it almost hurt to look at him. One final cheer from the large audience, and the two of them became swamped by the flood of people wanting to talk to them both and individually to congratulate them. Most of the focus was on Kise, which suited Kuroko fine as he sought the company of a wall, when he heard:

"Tetsuya…?"

He froze at the sound of the male voice coming from behind him but he had no choice but to turn around and respond. There was no use in pretending that he was his twin at this point. "A-Akashi-kun."

"As I thought," Akashi said simply, a smirk on his face barely hiding the shock visible in his eyes. Kuroko didn't miss the once-over the heterochromatic eyes gave him and tried not to feel utterly embarrassed at having to stand in front of his stepbrother dressed the way he was. "Do you want to explain?"

"Tsukina," Kuroko said simply, shrugging.

"You look great, I gotta say," Akashi commented offhandedly. "I've never seen any guy look so hot in a dress, which is a little disturbing if I may be honest. Oh, and congratulations on your marriage."

"Akashi-kun, please…" Kuroko said, fists clenching. For some reason, it felt different from when Kise told him. He didn't know why, but Akashi's words made him almost unbearably uncomfortable and even annoyed, which was bizarre. The popular heir of Seirin was his stepbrother, so a compliment like that should have just felt like a joke and yet…

"She really didn't want to get married, huh."

Kuroko nodded absentmindedly.

"Why are you going so far to help her out?"

It was a trick question. They both knew it already, that Tsukina always managed to get what she wanted if she set her mind to it. Even Akashi himself had trouble saying no to her.

His usual cynical tone softened slightly. "Are you going to be alright? This situation, from what I understand, is incredibly dangerous. I'll do what I can to support you but…it would just be best if you didn't get caught in the first place."

Kuroko nodded again.

"I thought it was a little weird that you weren't showing any emotions, you know. That's one of the things that set you two twins apart for good," Akashi noted rather nonchalantly as if they were discussing something as mundane as the weather. "Ah, I understand now. So that's why she wasn't here. Anyway, she texted me to tell you that she left without seeing you two get married because she still has some work left to do and things to pack. Though now that I think about it, she must have been the one to mess up the sound system. She could have at least greeted me properly if she was going to be here in the first place."

Kuroko blurted, "I told Kise-kun that my name was Tetsuya. And I think she knew that."

"You idiot," Akashi sighed, patting him on the head. "I don't even know how she managed it, but you're lucky she tampered with the mic in time and blanked out the name, baka."

"I know," Kuroko whispered back.

"It's not such a bad thing. Your husband is a little bit of an idiot himself. I'm sure you guys will get along just fine," Akashi muttered and Kuroko nodded. The redheaded male chuckled. "Yeah. Things will work out."

Suddenly a loud voice said, "It's time to throw the bouquet~! Please head on outside everyone!"

Kuroko stared at Akashi in horror and Akashi laughed even harder, easily reading his emotions. He was one of the rare people, like Tsukina, who could tell how he felt simply because they had known each other for so long and Akashi was a quick study.

"It's not that bad, I'm sure," Akashi teased. "You only have to fool these people for a couple more hours. The real challenge comes with Ryouta himself."

At that, Akashi offered an arm and Kuroko took it. Usually, he would have hated to need help like this but the dress was so annoying he could hardly walk in it. Besides, Kise was already nowhere in sight.

Speaking of Kise…why did it bother him that Akashi called Kise by his first name? Clearly, as the respective heirs of large companies, they had spoken together and were probably friends. It shouldn't make him feel so flustered.

He coughed awkwardly, disturbed by the thought.

Once all the guests were outside, the males just standing to the around the group of women anxious to catch it, Kuroko turned around and flung the bouquet backwards as best as he could with the slim-fitting dress prohibiting his movements.

Immediately, he heard the protests.

"That's not fair!"

"Do it again!"

"How is this possible?"

"It's not as though I wanted this. Or need it, for that matter." At that, Kuroko turned around to see Akashi holding the bouquet of flowers casually. "But I can't help it if it just drops into my hand."

"Girls, you do know that it is a _good_ thing if Akashi's the next one to marry, since it'll probably be one of you?"

Kuroko shivered as he felt Kise approach him from behind. A hand settled on his waist casually, but Kuroko felt the touch like a burn. And not in a bad way, he guessed, which made it all the more strange. Maybe Kise was just the kind of person that was a little on the touchy side. Kuroko wasn't used to it, but he supposed he would be able to handle it after a while.

"Ah, Ryouta. It's nice to see you," Akashi grinned in a feline way, holding his hand out. "How have you been?"

"I've been alright. And you?" Kise grasped his hand to shake it firmly.

"I'm fine. I see you've married my little sister over here. Congratulations. Not that you had a choice or anything."

The hold on his waist tightened and Kuroko instinctively looked upwards to see Kise more clearly. He was surprised by the tension in the usually smiling face. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ah, no, I meant that Tetsuya here didn't have a choice," Akashi said calmly, the only thing betraying his true emotions the flash in his eyes.

"Akashi-kun, what are you talking about?" Kuroko found himself blurting out.

"You know it's true," Akashi shrugged. "Why are you getting angry?"

"Because…" Kuroko tried to find the right words and ended up saying bluntly, "you're making Kise-kun feel bad."

"Is that so?" the gold and red eyes seemed to read something in the air that Kuroko couldn't see.

"You know…it was…voluntary…at least for me," Kuroko said slowly. And it really was. After their meeting a couple of days ago, if he really couldn't stand him, Tsukina wouldn't have forced him to do anything. Yes, he wanted to help her, but it wasn't like he himself would have settled for a marriage he couldn't have possibly dealt with. And yes, it was unbelievable that he was getting married to a man. But Kise seemed like a kind person who had talked to him like he was a real human being, something he never really experienced often.

The fact that Kuroko had trouble communicating didn't seem to bother the blond male much, and that was one thing Kuroko really liked and appreciated about him.

"Voluntary but you didn't do this for yourself," Akashi sneered, his suddenly sinister laugh completely catching Kuroko off guard.

"Akashicchi, what is it that you're really saying?" Kise asked, eyes narrowed. "What's your point?"

"I just want you to keep that in mind, Ryouta, that's all," Akashi shrugged. "You had more power to change things. Tetsuya barely did. I don't want you saying that you regret getting married later."

Was Akashi telling Kise to watch out?

Or was he warning him of the secret Kuroko had to keep for as long as possible…

Then Kise chuckled just as spontaneously, as if he had understood some kind of message Akashi was trying to send. "You're the same as always. Sheesh, couldn't you warn me in any other way?"

"But of course not. You know me," Akashi's smile returned to normal and the tension seemed to dissipate. "Well, have fun you two. I could only stop by to watch the ceremony. I'm off for work. Oh, and I think you have to go take pictures now. Smile for the camera, Tetsuya."

Kuroko nodded and Kise waved as Akashi walked away.

"Your brother…" Kise sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Never mind. Let's go back."

[~ * ~]

**Hours of talking, toasting, dancing later...**

For one thing, seeing Kuroko's lithe form all day in the long, snow white dress made Kise just want to grab her and –

He coughed into a fist. He actually didn't know whether he wanted to hug her, kiss her, or…

"Kise-kun?" the soft voice finally brought his focus back to the cake at hand. She looked up at him with her large blue eyes and he coughed again, his throat suddenly becoming dry. He felt like he was back in high school, going on his first date or something.

God, he just wanted the wedding to be over so that he could just spend a little time with her alone.

Which was not the kind of thought he should be having in the first place. Then again, she was his wife now so he supposed it wasn't wrong or anything. Still…

"Ah, sorry," Kise whispered, taking her small hands in his to slice the cake together as they were supposed to. They placed one thin slice of the top layer on to the plate and he heard more cheering. He cut a small piece for her and said, "Ah~"

The pink lips parted slightly and he took the opportunity to feed her, the people letting out a chorus of "aww…" as they watched him. Kuroko did the same for him in return, but he barely tasted it, his mind completely blank.

And every single moment of that was being caught on camera in some form of video or picture or other.

Having had a part-time job as a model, he didn't mind the flashes and the constant clicking noises. But he was slightly concerned about Tetsuya who looked pretty uncomfortable.

Yet another reason to get out of here. This was the last thing on their agenda anyway. They could skip whatever else followed, and no one would really care, so that's what he planned to do, to leave early.

The guests gathered around and began lining up to taste the cake. Kise took the chance to pull Kuroko to the side and walked over to a quiet corner. "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright," Kuroko answered, looking a little weary. "What…did you want to say?"

"I just wanted to know, would you mind leaving a little early?" Kise suggested, trying not to sound too eager. "Well, I mean it's already getting a bit late, so…"

"No…I don't mind. Where are we going?"

Kise chuckled lightly, trying not to be too embarrassed. "A little trip for our…ah…honeymoon. After that, we'll move into my apartment, unless you were thinking of somewhere else. We can buy a new place if you want, or…"

Kuroko shook her head. "I…don't mind. Your place…your place is fine."

"Everything's already been prepared, luggage bags and all. Our plane leaves in several hours, but do you want to just go to the airport a little early?"

"The...airport?" she frowned.

"Ah, I forgot to tell you," Kise muttered sheepishly. "We're not going on a private plane because I thought it would be better to experience the trip more normally, you know?"

"Um…that's…" Kuroko bit her lip.

Crud, had he said something wrong? Maybe she was really particular about travelling. Would a private plane have been better? Should he have talked through this with her before making his own decisions?

"What I mean is…what I meant was…how far are we going if we have to ride a plane? I…wasn't talking about riding a private one…since I rarely do anyway..."

"Oh. Well, that's a secret," Kise murmured with a smile and Kuroko looked away again, fidgeting with her dress. He was relieved she wasn't actually upset, just a little curious.

It was interesting that Kuroko seemed to really live like a normal person despite her high class status. Not that he necessarily thought rich people had to act rich or anything. "So are you okay with leaving now?"

Kuroko nodded.

"Then let's go," Kise grinned, taking her hand and leading her back to the bride's room so she could change into more comfortable clothes again. When Kuroko entered the changing area, he stood politely outside the space enclosed by the curtains, waiting for her.

"Excuse me…Kise-kun?"

"Yes?"

"I…can't get the dress off…without help…"

Kise swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down madly. "I can help you, if you'd like."

There was a long silence before Kuroko responded, "Can you…just undo the zipper…and go back out?"

He chuckled wryly. "Yeah. You can trust me. I won't do anything beyond helping you out of that dress."

The blue head popped out between the curtains. "C-come in…"

His heart skipped a beat as he stepped inside, Kuroko at his eye level now that she was standing on the little platform. She turned around and his fingers fumbled for the small zipper and carefully unfastened her dress. He averted his eyes from her slim back and tried his best not to notice that his fingers brushed along her incredibly soft skin.

"There you go," he said a little too quickly, racing back out before he could do something he would regret.

_Self-control…_

Dear God, he hadn't felt this way in ages. Maybe he'd never quite felt this way ever before. He breathed in deeply, closing his eyes, trying to calm himself. The adrenaline pumping through his veins was making him jittery. By the time he opened them again, Kuroko was already outside, dressed simply but elegantly in dark leggings and a white sweater.

"You look beautiful," he found himself saying out loud and Kuroko turned a deep shade of red.

"S-stop saying things like that…"

"It just slipped out, I'm sorry," Kise said sheepishly. He simply grabbed a winter coat instead of his suit jacket. "Are you ready to go?"

Kuroko nodded and he grinned, taking her hand again. As expected, it was as cold as ice. Slowly, he threaded their fingers together as they walked towards the car waiting for them, filled with their luggage and other necessary things.

"Kise-kun?"

"I'm just warming your hand up," Kise said lightheartedly. "Don't worry about it."

His chauffeur immediately materialized in front of the two of them, opening the door for the backseats.

"I'll be taking you to the airport right away, sir."

"Thank you," Kise responded. He turned to Kuroko and offered teasingly, "If you're feeling tired, always feel free to lean against me and sleep, okay?"

"You're embarrassing," Kuroko said flatly, but her ears turned the slightest bit red and Kise chuckled, almost missing the small, "okay".

But when he heard it, when his brain actually registered the word...it felt like someone had punched him in the chest, hard.

It left him utterly breathless.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hope you guys liked it…I know it's moving fast but I really want to write fluff. Plus, in my defense, Kise comes off as the kind of person who would be impatient and a bit childish, which is what I attempted to make him, though I can hardly explain why Kuroko is so girly…*sighs anxiously and curls up into a ball in the corner of the room*

Why am I so scared of what people will think about my writing? OTL Ignore me…

Anyway…please look forward to the next chapter: _In which the honeymoon takes place _(it might have to be like Part 1, because I'm planning to focus a lot on their honeymoon…)

I tried to write a lot for Ch2 because I don't know how quickly I'll be able to produce Ch3 with so much stuff going on - school, college apps, yay...

I'm also really debating on who I should use as the "love rival"…

Leave a comment/review if you liked it. Thank you~


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **I can't believe this fic is being so well received! :O I am really shocked and thankful…I appreciate every single review/follow/favorite! Thank you all so much *bows* I've gotten some wonderful feedback and I hope to incorporate as much of your advice into my story as possible.

-glomps everybody-

Mitsu-chan, as well as everyone else, I'm sorry it took so long to update this. I failed you for the last few months but here you go! I have the attention span of a…well…I get distracted easily and I get swept up by schoolwork and…

Gomenosai. OTL

**Warning: FLUFF. REALLY AWKWARDLY PACED. VERY OOC** – I've gotten a few comments about his feminine-ness…but the Kuroko in this story is meant to be an extremely _awkward_ character who doesn't know how to talk properly to people because he's used to silence and being hidden. He blushes and all, but his face remains completely impassive regardless. And, of course, there are very few people able to read his almost non-existent expressions (Kise being one of them!)

I've morphed and mutilated his original personality – it's very **AU!** I'm sorry if you don't like the Kuroko I've created! I recognize that he's almost unbelievably feminine, so I will try to make him more masculine (though I will probably fail…OTL)

Enjoy!

(The title of the chapter has been slightly altered)

**The Only One for Me**

* * *

_Chapter 3 – In which the honeymoon begins_

* * *

_Kurokocchi…_

_Kurokocchi…_

_Kurokocchi…?_

"Kurokocchi…?"

Kuroko frowned and tried to open his eyes, groaning softly. Gentle fingers brushed back hair that had fallen over his face, and he finally managed to wake up. He blinked, not registering where he was, and sat up absentmindedly. A hand went up to his crazy bedhead as always as he tried to tame the untamable, when he heard, "Kurokocchi, your hair is incredible. I think it's cool that you have such short hair. Is that what people call a pixie cut?"

He twitched, realizing he was far from being alone in the car. Willing himself to become fully conscious, he could only manage to say, "Did I...?"

"Yeah," Kise smiled, reaching out and rubbing at the corner of Kuroko's lips, answering the unspoken part of the question easily. Light blue eyes widened in horror as it struck him that his _husband_ was wiping away his _drool_. "You fell asleep. And you looked really, really cute…though I still don't know how your hair became that way."

Dear God.

His _drool._

Kuroko couldn't focus on anything other than the fact that Kise saw something so mortifying.

"It's okay," he said quickly, feeling hot and pushing Kise's hand away, scrubbing at his own face rather like a cat. He'd known this man for the span of maybe a week (only met him once, really), yet the blond had touched him more than any other person in such a short period of time. It made him uncomfortable but it wasn't such an unwelcome feeling for some reason.

"Kise-kun…you're really…embarrassing...Why would you do something like that?"

"Because you're so cute I can't stop myself, especially when you're sleeping. And if I'm going to be your husband, I want to see all sides of you, even ones that make you embarrassed. We're going to be living together from now on, so don't you think we should get used to it?" he said cheerfully, chuckling. Kuroko squirmed at the cheesiness. "Anyway, I didn't want to wake you up but we're here."

Well, damn.

Kuroko stared at the entrance of the massive airport, wondering where exactly they were headed. He usually bought heavy sleep medication for the duration of the flight but he'd just spent the entire car ride sleeping already, so he didn't have the heart to tell Kise anything, didn't want to tell him that he couldn't handle flights like this well.

Yes, he was a coward.

Not strong enough for flights, not strong enough to decline Tsukina, not strong enough to explain to Kise…He was dressed like a girl of all things. He was definitely _not_ a cross-dresser yet here he was!

His thoughts kept straying because of guilt, which ate away at him inside.

Just what was he doing?

"What are you just standing there for?" Kise teased, taking his hand. Then he blinked, thought processes showing in his face. Confusion, mostly, mixed with some anxiety…

"Wait, did you by chance not want to go anywhere for our honeymoon? I don't remember if I asked properly anymore. We can go back if you want…"

Those golden eyes reminded him of a sweetly begging puppy and Kuroko's just about non-existent willpower crumbled. He merely shook his head and tugged at their intertwined fingers to make Kise let go.

"Oh," Kise said awkwardly. "You just didn't want to hold hands-"

Kuroko cleared his throat to cut him off, fighting the urge to squirm. "I…I was just going to take a luggage bag."

Kise looked over at the two suitcases now resting on the ground, thanks to their diligent chauffeur. The blond's expression immediately brightened, and Kuroko looked away. There was no reason why he should be so attracted to a fellow male, not like this. Then again, he was behaving really feminine.

Did that excuse him and his crazy feelings then? Did this make him, well, gay?

Kuroko chomped down on his lower lip.

"I see! Let's go then."

Both of them grabbed their respective things and walked inside. Kuroko had intended on simply following Kise's lead, but the blond came to walk to his left, taking his hand again.

"Your hands are really cold," Kise mumbled. Kuroko felt Kise's gaze on him and, as expected, he heard Kise tentatively ask, "Ne, do you think it's bad that I want to do this?"

Kise gestured to their linked hands and Kuroko shook his head, willing himself to calm down. "I…don't mind if it's Kise-kun."

Since they were married and all…

Right?

"Aghh! You can't stay stuff like that," Kise smiled, a light pink flush spreading across his flawless face. "You're too adorable…"

Light blue eyes met honey topaz ones and both pairs looked away in embarrassment.

The larger male's touch felt nice, gentle. And, really, Kise was such a cheerful, happy sort of person…

But…

What would he do if, and when, he found out Kuroko's secret? Would he yell? Would he throw something? Would he care? But of course he would. He had become (illegally) married to another _man_. If Kise liked him at this moment, it was only because he liked the image of the girl Kuroko was pretending to be...and that girl happened to be his own twin sister. Kise would only become cruelly disenchanted. There was no way that Kise would remain chaste for years upon years even if there was some way that Kuroko could force him to stay away from the bedroom, considering how much the blond seemed to like touching him. While there was no doubt that Kise was a kind man, Kuroko doubted that his reaction would be very good. How could it possibly be good at all? Kise would think he was a freak, or at best an okama.

Would he be angry? Would he feel betrayed? What would he do? If they were to divorce, though really they couldn't be married in the first place, what would either of them do about the media? The paparazzi? The whole of society that, for some reason, wanted to look up to them?

How long could he keep this up before destruction consumed them both, their reputations, their families?

Kuroko was so worried about the matter that he didn't quite register where they had dropped off their luggage or where they sat to wait or which plane he'd begun to board. He had only kept pace with Kise – who honestly was walking along at _his_ much slower speed – and the blond had taken care of everything, the tickets, the seats, the luggage…literally, everything.

It was almost so much worse that Kise was being this nice. Why, out of all men, did Kuroko have to end up with the one guy that seemed to genuinely care about marriage?

"Kurokocchi, are you okay?" Kise asked, concern lacing his voice. He felt Kuroko's forehead, as though checking for a fever. A thumb stroked across the burning cheeks. "Or are you just tired from the car ride?"

"…Just a bit distracted…" Kuroko mumbled, taking the middle seat out of three, since Kise had taken the aisle seat.

Wait, what?

"Did…I show something on my face?" Kuroko asked, confused. Most people, even Tsukina, had trouble reading him when he became depressed. It wasn't exactly that he'd learned to be inexpressive, but he couldn't control his facial muscles the way most people could. Expressions simply didn't show.

Yet…

"Your hand tightened around mine a bit," Kise admitted. "And your cheeks are turning the slightest bit pink-"

Just how closely was Kise watching him? The thought of it made him so uncomfortable that he jerked his hand away.

"Kurokocchi?" The voice was quiet…and sounded hurt?

This kind of thing was never supposed to happen. How was he supposed to explain that no one really understood him and that it scared to have someone who could suddenly appear in his life, only to end up being his husband of all people?

He couldn't. Instead he slipped his hand slowly back into Kise's and tried to look out the window, though all he could see were the lights of the airport and an inky black sky.

It was getting hard to remember that he was most definitely a _male._

"I keep forgetting that I'm a bit too forward," Kise murmured wryly, lips quirking upwards, though he sounded happy that Kuroko had taken a small step forward. "I'll try to slow down."

"No…it's just that I'm…not too good with people," Kuroko admitted.

Kise smiled. "I figured. We're opposites, aren't we? And I see that as a good thing, even though I don't always understand what you're trying to tell me..."

Kuroko said nothing in reply but somehow the mood between them lightened again. Kise continued to chatter on, with Kuroko listening politely until the plane was just about ready for takeoff, when a man suddenly appeared at Kise's right in the aisle.

"Um, excuse me, beautiful lady. I believe I have the honor to sit next to you this fine night."

[~ * ~]

Kuroko stared.

He couldn't help but laugh a little at the unbelievably cheesy words and merely gestured for the man to take a seat. Did guys like him really still exist? He really shouldn't find this to be so amusing, just because the guy was hitting on another guy (a.k.a. Kuroko himself) without knowing.

"Who are you to talk to her that way-"

"I wasn't talking to you, model face." His voice was easygoing and light, and he said it with such a bright smile that Kuroko didn't really notice anything amiss, though Kise seemed rather irritated. "Moriyama Yoshitaka, at your service. How are you tonight?"

Kuroko swallowed, not replying, finding the situation too ridiculous to say much.

"Ah, a quiet _mademoiselle_. If you feel tired, feel free to lean on me-"

_Squeeze._

Kuroko blinked at the sudden pressure to his hand. Was Kise…was Kise getting upset?

"Actually-"

He was cut off by the man's quick movement, putting his arm right behind Kuroko's head, leaning against the back of the chair. He patted somewhere near the crook where his arm met his shoulder and grinned. "Here."

"I'm ma-"

"So where are you headed?"

Weren't they all headed in the same direction, the same place?

"Moriyama-kun, I really don't-"

He sighed. "You really are too beautiful, lady. I can't think of the proper words to describe you. And your voice as you speak my name…"

Kuroko's eyebrows began to knit into a frown. If no words were going to go through him, then he'd have to _show_ him. So he reached out his hand to show his ring but Moriyama simply grabbed it happily, mistaking all signals to benefit his own interpretations.

"You're responding to me positively. I'm enjoying this a lot, mademoiselle," he said cheerfully.

"Aren't you getting a little too cozy with my wife?" Kise finally said, voice more serious than Kuroko had ever heard it before, not that he'd really heard his voice that often. Still, something about his tone made him shiver.

Moriyama blinked in an almost comical manner. "Excuse me, say that again?"

"My wife is trying to show you her ring," Kise said, laughter creeping into his voice at the stunned expression on the man's face. "That is, if you could have the decency to let go of her hand for a second."

Moriyama's eyes narrowed but the charming smile was still on his face. "Should that deter me at all in the slightest?"

Kuroko's jaw dropped and he mumbled, "Don't you think…you're being a little…"

He couldn't think of the right word so he stopped his attempt to talk.

"But, sweetheart, the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you had to be the one," he said smoothly. Blue eyes immediately sought out topaz ones as Kuroko stared at Kise in a stunned manner, disbelieving that someone could be so stubborn. "You're simply a pearl. I'll just have to fight the clam to get to you, that's all."

Kuroko wanted to facepalm but he was able to say nothing, able to express nothing. Kise seemed just as befuddled at this behavior.

_Well, this was going to be an awkward flight-_

Just then, the engines of the plane and the pilot's scratchy voice through the speakers simultaneously interrupted their strange conversation: "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. We will now depart from the airport. Please take your seats and put on the seatbelt at all times, especially when the seatbelt sign lights up during times of turbulence. I hope you enjoy your flight."

All screens began showing the flight procedures and whatnot but Kuroko could only freeze up a little, muscles tensing. He was really not too good with planes. Combine motion sickness with a dislike of heights and that was enough for Kuroko to avoid long-distance trips in general.

"I'm serious, you know," Moriyama's quiet voice made Kuroko jump a bit in his seat.

"You shouldn't…base everything on looks," Kuroko murmured back, fidgeting.

"There's just something about you that I can't describe. You're unbelievably attractive," he chuckled. "That's not because of your physical appearance but you seemed so cold at first glance and yet you act so differently, as though it's just shyness."

The rumble of the plane speeding rendered his speech useless, since Kuroko only heard a part of it.

"Why aren't you riding First Class?" Moriyama said a bit loudly.

Kuroko shrugged. He had no idea but Kise was suddenly at his other ear saying, "First Class seats are all separated from each other and I wanted to sit next you, so I chose Business Class. I know that's pretty selfish, huh."

The bluenette shivered and shook his head.

Kise was really too perfect a gentleman. He was trying so hard to make this work, different from all those men who made their marriages nothing more than a business connection, treated their wives simply as a material possession.

Something squeezed inside Kuroko's chest.

Kuroko took a deep breath. If Kise was going to be honest, if Kuroko wanted to make this work, he needed to be honest. And he would take it one step at a time. Someday, he'd reveal everything. But for now, he whispered back, "I don't like airplanes."

Kise's eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me, Kurokocchi?"

"I was…" Kuroko struggled to speak. "I'm…trying…"

The golden eyes softened as Kise smiled again. "I think I understand. Do you get motion sickness?"

Kuroko nodded.

"Lean against me, then. It's okay. And you can always hold my hand. I'm…well, I'm here for you," Kise murmured. Kuroko slowly obliged, only to feel Kise gently kissing the top of his head. A strange sense of déjà vu came over him. "You can go to sleep again. I want you to know that you can tell me anything and I'll listen. Take your time when you talk. It's okay."

"…Thank you…" Kuroko said quietly.

"Ah, well. Looks like I won't be able to break you two up any time soon," Moriyama's voice interrupted them and Kuroko twitched in surprise. "How I envy lovebirds…"

Kise merely smiled cheerfully.

[~ * ~]

**Back in Japan…**

"Tsukina, explain."

Unperturbed, the bluenette smiled carelessly. "What do you mean, Seijurou?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about." A dangerous smirk danced around Akashi's thin lips. "You're playing a dangerous game, Tsukina."

The two of them were sitting in her dorm room at the grad school she had all but run away to. He leaned against the wall, radiating a power that one couldn't possibly expect from such a small, lean frame. An eyebrow arched in warning, he stared at his stepsister.

"It's not like I planned anything in particular. It just happened to work out more in my favor because of Tetsuya's compliance," Tsukina shrugged, arms crossed.

Akashi's heterochromatic eyes flashed. "It would be better for you not to defy me. I won't say this again. _Explain._"

"I don't know what you want to hear from me," Tsukina groaned. "I did what I needed to, that was all."

The redhead sighed. This was always how it was. He had always favored Tetsuya and maybe that was because he just…swung that way. Yes, as in the romantic sense. But something about Tsukina always rubbed him the wrong way, as though she was determined to make him irritated. Of course, Akashi of all people could tell which twin was which, but whenever he stared too long at her face, it felt as though he was yelling at Tetsuya.

He didn't like that very much. Rather, he didn't like it at all.

For Tetsuya's sake, he'd maintained an almost cheerful attitude at the wedding, teasing and going with the flow. That was purely for Tetsuya and Tetsuya only.

He had a huge problem with Tsukina.

Akashi couldn't stand the way she always manipulated Tetsuya to get what she wanted. She had a will so strong that if Akashi himself was a lesser man, he would have snapped under pressure.

But he was Akashi Seijurou and that was that.

"Okay. I wanted to go to grad school. Marriage was in the way. I've heard of Kise Ryouta and I'm not particularly interested in someone like that. Plus, I don't care about love," Tsukina shrugged. "It would never work out between us because I would never prioritize a husband over the things I care about. Tetsuya is a boy so he's left alone but I'm a girl so I'm going to be sold off to a guy for business? No, I don't think so. He's going to be fine, even with all this mess. I have to do what I can."

And that was another thing. Tsukina hardly ever told anyone her true intentions, which were surprisingly self-centered but not always in a bad way. It was just that she appeared to be a cute girl to the world, yet in reality she was practical and quite intelligent.

Akashi could understand her, even if he didn't agree with her methods.

"Well, how do you suppose you're going to fix this problem?" Akashi asked softly, fighting the urge to take the pair of scissors on her desk and start twirling it around his finger the way he did when he felt too agitated for comfort.

"If it turns out well, then they'll have a great, chaste marriage without Kise-kun finding out anything. Otherwise, they'll either get a divorce and I'll be in big trouble. Or I suppose Kise could end up being that forgiving type that might accept Tetsuya as a boy," Tsukina said, listing off the possibilities in an almost shockingly logical and nonchalant manner.

"And you honestly think this will work…" Akashi's eyebrow twitched.

"Well, I have no idea," she said bluntly. Her icy gaze looked unflinchingly back at him. "I'm going to just keep a low profile here. It'll work out somehow."

"Who else knows about this?"

Tsukina exhaled loudly. "I didn't think anybody knew about it yet. I should have known you'd be fast to catch on though. Looks like I miscalculated."

"This may unravel to reveal a catastrophic finale," Akashi warned.

She smiled genuinely this time, making him swallow hard. She looked so much like Tetsuya…

"I appreciate your concern, Seijurou," Tsukina said brightly, with a cheerful wink, all seriousness gone. "But trust me. Things will work out somehow."

Akashi clucked his tongue. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"I get it," Tsukina grumbled. "Always the kind stepbrother, huh."

The word made him flinch. Indeed. He was supposed to be the big brother, the heir to the company, the stereotypical I-am-so-stoic-and-successful kind of leader.

He was definitely _not _supposed to be the quasi-incestual stepbrother that falls in love with a quasi-sibling. And love? Whoever mentioned love…

"Well, then. I have matters to attend to." Akashi placed two fingers on his temple. He turned to leave, only to murmur "good luck with your studies" before closing the door behind him.

Ugh. These feelings were too confusing, too unwelcome. He wanted to crush something, hurt someone.

Vent.

Rant.

_Rage_…

"Aka-chin…you look stressed."

The redhead stiffened his spine, standing up straight and tall. The voice didn't surprise him much, since Akashi had expected the other male would follow him instead of waiting obediently at the dorm building's entrance like he'd been told. Of course. "I'm perfectly fine, Atsushi."

Murasakibara munched on a candy bar as sloppily as usual. "If you're sure…"

"Completely. Let's go," Akashi murmured, walking in front of his giant bodyguard with his usual confidence. He didn't need or want anyone to be worried about him because of idiotic feelings he couldn't sort out properly.

Sooner or later, he'd have to face his emotions, his bizarre affection for Kuroko Tetsuya.

But not now.

Tetsuya was a married man. He was married to Kise Ryouta. Kise Ryouta was his business acquaintance. They were all representative of Seirin Company whether they liked it or not.

These were inevitable facts he had to address.

Just…

Not now.

"Hai~ Aka-chin, I think you might really want this."

A small candy appeared in front of his face. Akashi's eyes narrowed but surprisingly the corner of his lips lifted slightly into a tiny smile for a brief second before curling in dissatisfaction. "I don't like blueberries."

He took it anyway and unwrapped it, sliding it slowly into his mouth. Goosebumps rose on his flesh at the awful taste. Things were getting out of hand, to be sure. He wasn't thinking clearly at all.

"You're welcome, Aka-chin~"

Akashi's eyes flashed. "Be careful, Atsushi."

Despite Murasakibara's massive size, he lost every time to the power that arose from Akashi's personality. So, the response was fast and brief.

"Hai. I understand."

This was how things should be. Everything as he dictates.

Akashi was displeased.

[~ * ~]

**On the plane…**

Kise's chest felt uncomfortably tight. It was as though it was just yesterday and years ago simultaneously that he had been talking about how boring his life was. He always understood everything without thinking much about it – in school, he was able to comprehend material in one day that took most people weeks. It wasn't really because he was a genius, just that when he copied something, he was always able to reproduce it exactly or even a bit better than the original. People just happened to consider him one.

It was no wonder, then, that he'd been so jaded. Like the stereotypical I-am-a-genius-this-is-boring kind of male, he had found nothing interesting. Nothing until Kuroko Tetsuya had entered that room that day. Sure, it was cheesy. But Kise thought of it as fate.

He had somehow managed to end up married to the most unique girl he'd ever met in his life. At first, it seemed like Kuroko was completely emotionless. After all, she _was_ the so-called Ice Queen. Yet, now he knew that it was just that she was expressionless and she had to try hard to show anything. She wasn't used to opening up to other people.

He wanted to know everything about her. Marriage, or rather _she _herself, was the greatest challenge he'd come up against. He had no idea what kind of person she was, still. They hadn't known each other long enough to be able to tell, considering the marriage had been so sudden and only based on one meeting. It was a marriage of business, of convenience. At least, that's what had been intended for the both of them.

But Kise wanted to change that. He wasn't like other wealthy men who used their wives as only as decorations for their arms or for less tasteful purposes. Simply, he wanted a friendship that would last even after the two of them got old and lost some of their physical charm.

Kuroko leaned against him, her head resting gently on his shoulder. She wasn't asleep but he could feel her breathing calmly. She didn't look too sick, which made him feel a bit better. He had to remember to be attentive to her because she didn't reveal much to him, and that was even more interesting.

Would he ever get bored of her? He always had this fear of anything he did. While he had no clue, if they developed a good relationship, their marriage would be fine. Right?

It was just that he was pretty good at making girls fall for him, not to be conceited. They just did, based on only his looks and name. But it was like Kuroko didn't care about that at all.

What did Kuroko like? What did she want from a marriage? What did she want from him?

Kuroko shifted against him and Kise immediately snapped out of his thoughts.

"How are you holding up?" he asked softly. "We still have a lot of time."

"I'm fine…"

"Ah, Kurokocchi, do you want to watch a movie together?" Kise offered, holding out a pair of headphones, smiling brightly at the sight of the small, pale face upturned to look at him. Light blue eyes seemed to be devoid of all emotion but they widened slightly at the question. Kise had no clue about what that indicated, but he knew he had to be persistent. Call him shameless, but he was determined to move the relationship as far as he could, even if that meant he had to embarrass himself.

"Sure," the bluenette replied softly, taking one earbud. "Thank you."

Kise smiled and turned on the screen in front of them. "You can choose, Kurokocchi."

"Okay."

"_Will you do something for me, please? Just picture your life for me? 30 years from now, 40 years from now? What's it like? If it's with him, go. Go! I lost you once, I think I can do it again-"_

Kise blinked. _The Notebook_?

"_I love you. You're the only reason to stay alive…if that's what I am-"_

This time, Kise couldn't help but shiver a little. _Twilight _or _New Moon_ or whatever it was, those movies didn't actually sit too well with him.

"_If, however, your feelings have changed, I will have to tell you; you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love…I love…I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on-"_

If he had to guess, Kise would think there was a pattern. Kuroko finally said out loud what both of them had been thinking.

"There's nothing on except for romantic movies."

Kise chuckled at the distaste audible in her words. Yet another unique thing about this girl: she didn't like the typical chick flick romantic movies. "I'm guessing you're not much of a fan."

"I never watched much television…I still don't," Kuroko admitted. "It's just not as fun…I…preferred basketball during my school years."

"Seriously? I played basketball too!" Kise said enthusiastically. "I played small forward."

"I didn't really have a position," Kuroko replied rather mysteriously. "I loved…I love basketball."

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

Kise's heart beat faster just at the sound of the word he doubted he would hear directed towards him anytime soon. He swallowed hard and smiled again. "We should play together soon."

"A one-on-one?"

Kise nodded and the corners of Kuroko's lips merely twitched a little as they continued watching _Pride and Prejudice. _How ironic. Just like the characters, they probably had a series of trials and tribulations waiting for them until they could finally find their happiness at the end.

But Kise never had much of a taste for classics and he found himself dozing off…

The last thing his brain registered was the feeling of Kuroko's cold but soft hand in his.

[~ * ~]

Kuroko found himself in the exact same position that Kise had been in just a few hours ago. It felt like they had been on the plane for days already. How much longer would they have to go until he could feel the solid ground under his feet?

No complaining. There wasn't much left to his pride, not since he'd decided to go through with this ridiculous idea. At this rate, he would be completely emasculated. Maybe if Kise was with him, it would be possible to get over his fear, rather _dislike_, of planes and flights. For all he knew, his husband might secretly be thinking what everyone else always thought of him, that he was a coldhearted bitch. He hadn't been known as the Ice Queen for no reason.

The blond's head rested against his shoulder, warm breath tickling Kuroko's neck. The bluenette turned slightly to sneak a peek at Kise, only to see his peaceful face merely inches from his. Long, golden eyelashes fluttered with every breath, lips slightly parted. Somehow, Kise was even more handsome in his sleep than awake.

Kuroko turned to look straight ahead, his heart beating a little too fast for comfort.

He had never really gotten close to anyone other than Tsukina in his life. He didn't have the best relationship with his parents, who didn't understand him, didn't really have many close friends. Akashi could be considered a friend, he supposed, but he was just a stepbrother that liked to look out for his siblings in his own caustic way. Only one other person had been as close to him as Tsukina, but they had separated ways after high school and Kuroko hadn't seen the tanned male since.

And now, there was a person resting on his shoulder, trusting him completely to fall asleep so unguardedly.

They were _married. _

His mind was still numb and nothing felt real to him, even now.

"I suppose we have breakfast waiting for us, considering how we had a late night flight," Moriyama said in an offhanded manner, effectively snapping Kuroko out of his thoughts. "I'm guessing you two are on your honeymoon. You lucky lovebirds…"

Kuroko said nothing but Moriyama grinned. "You must be dying to know why I am here. Well, you see-"

"Miss, what would you like to eat?" A flight attendant smiled, gesturing to the cart. "We have just about every breakfast item, from croissants to omelets, from juice to coffee…"

Kuroko's tongue became tied and he swallowed. He tried to open his mouth but he failed. Usually, Tsukina was around him to do the talking and this time Kise wasn't even awake to help him…

Inwardly, he panicked, saying nothing. The attendant stared at him, her smile turning increasingly insincere as her eyes twitched with irritation.

"Could the three of us all get coffee, croissants, and some fruit?" Moriyama spoke up finally, with a charming smile.

"Of course," the attendant brightened, handing them three platters of food and disappearing quickly.

"What's wrong, milady?" Moriyama asked, genuine concern visible on his face.

It took a while for him to respond with, "I…didn't know."

"You didn't know what to order?"

Kuroko shook his head. After another long pause, he mumbled, "What to say."

In fact, it shocked him that he was able to talk to Kise, that he was able to talk to _Moriyama_. Something about the man took him off guard enough for him to speak. Maybe he was improving, becoming more social!

Would that be because of Kise's influence?

"You're so sweet," Moriyama chuckled, taking a large bite out of the croissant.

Kuroko felt his lips curve into a bitter smile. After all his deception and lies? "No…"

"There. I finally got to see you smile," he grinned, not noticing Kuroko's distress in the slightest. "You should do that more often."

Disturbed, Kuroko stabbed a piece of melon and raised it to his lips, only to have Moriyama lean over and sink his teeth into it, eating the fruit with a laugh.

"I win," Moriyama grinned.

"Can you…stop…" Kuroko found himself laughing quietly, unable to take Moriyama seriously at all. "I know you're not serious."

"Ah, that hurts, mademoiselle," Moriyama wiped invisible tears away and Kuroko chuckled. "You really do look much more beautiful when you smile and laugh. Is it difficult for you to do that?"

Kuroko said nothing, this time successfully eating a grape.

"I'm sure your husband will make you happy."

He didn't deserve that, he knew. He was lying to him, deceiving everyone.

"I don't think I'll make _him_ very happy," Kuroko responded glumly, only to bristle in shock at the sensation of warmth at the nape of his neck.

"What makes you say that, sweetheart?"

Kuroko blinked. "Kise…kun…?"

The voice was all seduction, a stark difference from what Kuroko was used to hearing. Lips pressed against the sensitive area where throat met shoulder.

…_What's happening?_

"Kise-kun…?" he said, startled. The blond was too close, too…different. Then–

"Ladies and gentlemen, the estimated remaining time for this flight is slightly under two hours. We hope you are enjoying your breakfast and flight with us."

Kise merely let go and smiled like his usual self. "Sorry, Kurokocchi, I must have been heavy. Did I snore?"

Kuroko watched him eat, taking a bite of the bread and drinking his black coffee. He was probably just imagining things. Shrugging lightly to himself, Kuroko poured vanilla cream into his own cup along with a package of sugar. This probably wasn't making him seem very masculine either and he didn't know if that was a good thing anymore.

He was just going to have to be himself from this point on. Sooner or later, the truth would reveal itself.

"No…you didn't."

"This is so embarrassing," Kise said cheerfully, rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manner.

Kuroko quietly sipped at his coffee, feeling strangely confused.

[~ * ~]

This was ridiculous. He didn't understand. Why did he lash out like that?

Kise had opened his eyes a few moments earlier, stunned into silence by the sight of Kuroko struggling to speak and failing. And instead of being able to speak for his wife, instead of being able to protect her, he saw Moriyama of all people save her from her distress. He had just sat there, watching them get along like an idiot.

Like a flower blooming, Kuroko had opened up to the man, slowly but surely. It took so much effort to get closer to her and yet Moriyama had done just that. Moriyama was even more aggressive than he was and just as charming, if not more. Even Kise struggled to hold himself back, yet Moriyama didn't at all, leaning over and eating Kuroko's food so casually.

Kuroko had laughed, eyes sparkling, relaxed. Then she had become crestfallen, though her face showed only a slight change, the corners of her lips tightening downwards. Of all things, _Kise _was the cause of that, though he still didn't understand why…or her in general.

And then he had probably scared her by acting unreasonable. He hadn't intended to appear so possessive, clearly startling her. He didn't understand. Why was he so crazy about someone like this? He was desperate, confused. When it came to most women, he was composed, disinterested, detached even with a cool smile on his lips. And then Kuroko made him feel this, well, messed up.

Would this marriage even work? It was going too fast, all these sensations he wasn't used to.

Feeling like he only had half a working brain, he got up from his seat, took down some of their luggage and offered a hand. "Let's go."

After saying a quick farewell to Moriyama, who merely grinned at them and wished them a good journey, Kuroko nodded, her hand cold in his as they walked off the plane. They had just arrived at the most romantic city in the world (supposedly).

He wanted to forget all about that flight. But at the same time, she had been so cute, leaning on his arm…

What was he thinking? He shook his head.

"Bienvenue à Paris!*" the flight attendant waved at them as they finally got into the main part of the airport.

When he turned to look at his wife, she seemed lost, her eyes more inexpressive than ever. "Are we…in France?"

"Oui," Kise chuckled, squeezing her hand lightly to try and reassure her that he'd take care of her. "Pour la lune de miel*"

"Je ne parle pas le français*," Kuroko muttered.

"But you're good," Kise laughed with some surprise at the embarrassment on her face. "Your accent sounds pretty legitimate."

"Mais c'est tout que je peux dire*," Kuroko said quietly.

"Ne t'inquiète pas*," Kise smiled. "We'll be okay here."

Kuroko nodded. "Then…take care of me, Kise-kun."

"Of course," Kise said brightly, knowing that she was simply saying the usual Japanese phrase most people used, but unable to feel anything but happy at her words. They quickly got into their reserved taxi (courtesy of the Kaijou Group) and headed straight for the hotel.

A quiet ride, shy handholding, and half an hour of slow driving later, they arrived at the hotel. After checking in, they went up to their pre-booked room.

"Do you think we could just…rest for today?" Kuroko asked, yawning politely into her hand, dark circles underlining her pale blue eyes. "I'm a little jetlagged…"

Kise nodded and opened the door to their room, only to see that there was just one massive bed in a spacious but cozy suite. He fidgeted with their luggage, which he lifted and placed in the corner just to have something to do. "…If you're not comfortable with this, I'll go sleep on the floor or something, that's fine-"

Kuroko looked like she was fighting with herself for the answer. "It's…okay."

"Are you sure? I don't want to push you to do something you don't want…" Kise said awkwardly. This was more, well, awkward than he thought. He wasn't sure what exactly he was talking about, whether it was sleeping together or _sleeping _together.

Not that he particularly minded one or the other.

"A-Actually, I'd like to get this out of the way," Kise blurted. "How far should we take this? I know we haven't exactly known each other very long but we're married and…"

Kuroko fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, clenching it tightly into her fist. "Can…you just give me some time to think about it? I…I'm not used to people around me, so…"

She looked guilty, withdrawn, as though she wanted to disappear, yet her expression was cool enough to want to make Kise shiver. She didn't hate him though…right?

"But…I don't mind being in the same…" Kuroko gestured vaguely to the bed. "Are you okay with that, Kise-kun?"

He could definitely take pride in the fact that he, though he was just like any other warm-blooded male, could hold back. Kise took dating, making love, being with another person in a romantic way, very seriously for someone his age. And, while he had gotten bored of doing the same thing over and over again with girls that liked him for the same shallow reason, this was definitely a unique experience, to say the least.

Kise loosened his tie and the top few buttons on his shirt, setting aside his jacket on the coat hanger, trying to ask casually, "Shall we sleep then?"

"Do you mind if I change?"

Kise smiled. "You don't have to be so polite with me, Kurokocchi. I'll be fine with whatever you do."

"Then…excuse me."

The blond watched his wife open the luggage bag and pull out a giant, over-sized t-shirt and a pair of sweats. Shocked, his jaw hung open as she walked nonchalantly into the bathroom.

His wife was an utter _gem_.

He couldn't help himself from comparing her to all the other women, who had taken care to always wear the most revealing, lacy, sheer material to bed, regardless of whether they actually did anything together or just cuddled. And here was Kuroko, totally comfortable in her own way and uncaring of her surroundings.

Maybe he was just being unreasonably besotted, trying so hard to love someone that he was deceiving himself.

Or he was really in love (almost) at first sight.

He chuckled softly to himself and pulled out a pair of basketball shorts from his own luggage bag. After changing into his shorts, he was in the middle of stripping off his shirt when he heard the bathroom door open. He quickly took off his shirt – he wasn't sure if he should be glad he was wearing a muscle tank underneath – and stared at the…

Adorable perfection that was Kuroko Tetsuya.

Bright blue eyes were already slumberous from exhaustion, hair mussed and slightly spiky in some areas. The t-shirt hung loosely around her slim frame (with some embarrassment, he noted that she was relatively…_flat_, though he didn't really care about that), just brushing against the top of her knees, sweats covering everything else.

She looked like a small kid who needed to go to sleep. He grinned and went over to her, picking her up in one smooth motion and bringing them both to bed.

His eyes widened slightly at the feeling of well-toned muscle. Did his wife work out? Not quite _manly_ by any means, but not quite feminine either…

"Kise-kun…?"

"Don't worry, I won't do anything you don't like. You're tired, right?" Kise brought the blankets over the two of them and he snuggled against her, his arms wrapped around her slender waist. Again, the feeling of lean muscle…

A faint scent of vanilla tickled his nose. He sniffed, getting closer.

"I took a shower yesterday…" Kuroko said quickly and Kise laughed.

"You smell nice, don't worry."

"…Oh."

Exhausted, the two of them fell asleep, Kise holding Kuroko close to him as if to make sure he was truly married.

_Sleep well…_

[~ * ~]

"Nnnnghhh…"

A gentle warmth seemed to radiate from an unknown source as Kuroko curled up even more than before into…

Kise's arms?

His eyes snapped open, body freezing in place. Had he snored? Had he given himself away in sleep? What if he kicked him or drooled again?

Maybe he was digging his own grave by letting this kind of thing happen. Should he have rejected Kise outright and just slept on the floor? Maybe he just shouldn't have fallen asleep in the first place. Maybe he should have just told him the truth when he could have. This all seemed overwhelmingly intimate and he felt even more guilty.

So he panicked, which meant he couldn't move at all whatsoever. He stiffened, every muscle refusing to budge.

"Ara…? Kurokocchi…? When did you wake up?" Kise's surprisingly raspy voice was infinitely more seductive than his usual, something that even Kuroko as a guy found attractive.

Silence.

"Ah…maybe you're not awake yet," Kise whispered, voice suddenly a lot closer than it had been before. Just like that, Kuroko felt a lean arm wrap more securely around his waist. His eyes widened as he realized Kise was spooning up against him "I'll just hold you a bit longer then…"

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

This was not good. He tried to bend his spine a little, tried to keep his distance, to no avail.

"…Good morning…" he barely made out, still tense from worry.

"So you really were awake…good morning."

Kuroko cleared his throat. "Did I…bother you at all? I mean…during the night…"

Kise's light chuckle skated across the sensitive area of his neck and Kuroko shivered. "Not one bit. Once I'm asleep, I'm out until I either wake up naturally or my loud alarm forces me to get up. I'm not bothered by much– Oh, are you cold? Then you should have just said something. Here…"

Kuroko felt the blankets cover him more securely while Kise pulled him closer, holding him tighter.

"Is that better?"

Thank goodness Kise couldn't see his face because if it was as hot as he felt, he'd be mortified.

"What do you want to do today, Kurokocchi? We could do the typical tourist things like visiting the Eiffel Tower or going to the Louvre…Do you have a preference?"

"Not really…"

"We _could_ just stay in bed all day."

Before Kuroko could stop himself, a gasp escaped his lips.

"Ah…sorry…went too far, right?" Kise apologized immediately, loosening his hold. "I really won't do anything you don't want me to, so you don't have to worry."

"No, I'm sorry…I…believe you," Kuroko said quietly. It was strange that he immediately missed Kise's touch. "I'm just not…quite used to things like this still… jokes or not…"

"Mou…" Kise's arm brought him straight back against the broad, muscular frame. "You're so cute. What am I supposed to do?"

_Would you still feel that way if you knew I wasn't a girl?_

He surprised himself with his own pettiness and didn't want to think about things like that, so he protested, "I'm not cute."

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not."

Kise chuckled.

"You definitely are…but you know, I think you've opened up a lot towards me. I'm not sure I can be arrogant and just say it's because of the way I am that I feel like we're getting a bit closer…or maybe you're trying really hard to talk to me more than you usually would…In either case, I'm just glad that…well I guess, I'm glad that I'm here with you, and that you're my wife," Kise said sincerely, voice still husky. "Ah, what am I saying? I'm just spewing out romantic things. I suppose it's okay, though. Are you falling for me and my charm now?"

Kuroko swallowed hard but let out a small laugh. He finally understood at least a little of what Kise's personality was like. The blond was naturally cheerful, eager, earnest to be sure. He joked around to lighten the mood but he was genuinely kind, perhaps tried a little too hard to be so. Not that that was a bad thing.

Kise was trying really hard to make this all work.

_But for what? I'm lying to him…_

He pushed those thoughts away. After all, he was helping his twin. He would never willingly lie to such a nice man.

Right?

"Where did you want to go, Kise-kun?"

"I'm pretty tourist-y," Kise admitted sheepishly. "But I tried to pick out things that would be a little more unique than just going to the well-known places. All of them are only open at night, though, so maybe after breakfast, we can decide together…?"

"I see."

"Ne…Kurokocchi…"

"Hm…?"

"Will you do me a favor?"

Kuroko turned around, facing Kise for the first time in the morning. The blond's face was perfect, not swollen from sleep, no flaw visible at all whatsoever. It was really rather unfair, as though Kuroko had married some sort of impeccable prince. Golden eyes seemed to sparkle, cheeks reddening slightly, a smile brightening his entire expression.

There must be something on his face. Kuroko scrubbed absentmindedly at his eyes, near his lips, wondering if some part of him was amusing to the other but Kise merely murmured, "Will you kiss me?"

Kuroko's eyes widened. It wasn't so unnatural to ask for something simple like this, since they were married. But wouldn't his breath smell bad? Didn't he look like a mess? All these insecurities that he wasn't used to brooding over threatened to engulf him. He had never worried about waking up to another person's presence before, never considered how it would feel like to be with someone else this close.

"I get it if you don't want to. No pressure," Kise said softly, face turning a little redder.

It struck Kuroko that maybe, just maybe, despite his enthusiasm, Kise was feeling just as unconfident. They were both a little awkward in the situation they had gotten themselves into. So Kuroko merely leaned over, pressed his lips against Kise's cheek and hurtled out of the bed, grabbing random clothes from the luggage bag and heading straight for the bathroom. Leaning against the door, unwelcome images flooded his mind – Kise stripping off his shirt, Kise's strangely protective manner on the plane, Kise…

This was not good. At this rate, Kuroko would fall for Kise completely even knowing they were both men. He had to try harder to keep the secret. If Kise found out…

He'd be the one left feeling lonely, the one getting hurt.

[~ * ~]

Ah, this was so unfair.

Kise sat up in bed, face probably as red as a tomato. He didn't get it. It wasn't like he had never been kissed before, plus this couldn't possibly count as a _real _kiss.

They _had_ kissed once. At their wedding.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, looking up at the ceiling. What was happening to him? He was losing his touch, his finesse. Shaking his head, he lugged himself out of bed and changed just in time, as Kuroko came back out, wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a light coat.

It intrigued him how at times, there was almost a masculine quality about her, something about the way she carried herself, the way she felt in his arms. Perhaps the right term was "androgynous" but if he were to be honest, he couldn't tell sometimes. Was it just because he was being stupid? Clearly, looking at her now, Kuroko radiated femininity. Embarrassed and shy, Kuroko definitely seemed like a woman but when she became withdrawn, something about her seemed most surely like a man…

What was he thinking? He was being totally unfair to his wife.

_Wife._

Obviously Kuroko Tetsuya was a female. There was no other way they could have possibly gotten married.

"Ano…Kise-kun?"

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Kise responded sheepishly.

"It's actually six o'clock at night right now…"

Kise blinked, absentmindedly staring out the window. It was definitely getting dark already. He'd forgotten all about their time zone changes. With a small laugh, he asked, "Well, do you want to go grab a breakfast-style breakfast? Or do you want to have dinner for breakfast? Or…room service?"

Kuroko thought for a few seconds before answering, "Room service?"

Surprised, golden eyes widened the slightest fraction. He would have guessed she wouldn't have wanted something so private. Then again, for Kuroko it was possible that privacy was better than being exposed to the public eye. "Sounds good."

Kise looked at the giant catalog of hotel services and found the massive section dedicated to food. "Here, Kurokocchi, you can choose."

"I'll have the ham and potato gratin," Kuroko said finally, handing it back to Kise. Slightly disgruntled that their hands couldn't even meet – they were holding the menu from completely opposite ends, after all – he took it back and set it down on the table. He picked up the phone and rang up for room service, ordering Kuroko's dish as well as beef bourguignon for himself.

It was strange how the suite was so large but it seemed to contain nothing but the giant bed. This was definitely _not_ based on his choice. Even he felt that the bed took up the entire room, so how must Kuroko be feeling?

Just _what_ exactly was his father thinking, setting them up like this? Then again, he was the one being petty, wanting to touch her even when he wanted to be patient. It was like he was being mentally split in two.

Kise quickly made the bed with Kuroko's help and they sat down, again a little awkwardly.

"How long are we going to stay here?"

He blinked. "Well, I suppose we can leave whenever you want and go to a different province-"

"In France, I mean." Light blue bangs covered his wife's features. He couldn't read her at all.

The blond rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "Do you not like it here already? Or have you already done everything in Paris before…?"

He supposed it was natural, since they both came from wealthy families, if Kuroko had already visited Paris. Then wouldn't this just be really boring for her?

"To be honest, Kise-kun…I just…I was just wondering if we could go to the Jardin du Luxembourg before we left. I don't want to interfere with any plans you've already taken the time to make…It'd be nice to…take a walk together. I've never been in this part of the world before, so…don't worry. I like it so far."

Even more surprised, Kise nearly fell off the bed. Kuroko was really talking more than he'd ever heard her before. Flustered but refusing to let it show, he smiled brightly, regaining his balance. "Of course! I didn't actually plan anything in particular. I just have a working list of places we could go. We can do whatever we feel like. And if you want to do something, you should just tell me."

They were only a few inches apart, their faces closer than he thought after he'd hoisted himself back up. He reflexively licked his lower lip. As cheesy as it was, he could quite literally lose himself in those sky blue eyes.

He wanted to kiss her. Badly.

Neither of them moved, both pairs of eyes seeming to scan the other's face for some indication of what to do next.

"Kurokocchi…"

He leaned just the slightest bit closer and, shockingly enough, Kuroko merely closed her eyes.

Could he do this? Should he do this? But of course, they were married, weren't they? Yet he was feeling ridiculously nervous. Where was the cool, calm, and collected Kise from a week ago? He'd been the one that easily used his charm and charisma to please anyone.

He might as well give up trying to figure it out. Kuroko was different, that was all there was to it.

Tilting his head, he moved to close the distance between them…

_Ding dong! _"It's room service!"

Oh, hell.

[~ * ~]

**Omake**

**Small World**

"I saw you, bastard."

Moriyama grinned, reclining in his airplane seat as he watched all the people from the economy section leave. Pretty soon all of the passengers would leave and strays like him would be removed. He looked up to see a pissed off Kasamatsu glaring at him.

"Hey, babe."

"Don't 'hey, babe' me!" Kasamatsu's eyebrow twitched dangerously. If they hadn't been in a public place, Moriyama surely would have suffered some dire consequences.

But, they _were_ out in public, so he was safe.

"What's the big deal? I was just having fun with a cute little lady-"

"That was our CEO's son and his _wife_!" Kasamatsu's violent whisper could have contained a roar. "You were hitting on his _wife_! Our _CEO's son_, the _sole heir_ to the entire company, you idiot!"

Moriyama blinked. "Oh. So that's the famous son of the head of Kaijou? I thought something about him seemed…I dunno, high class. Ah…oops. I might have called him a 'model face'…"

"Yeah, do you even- You dumbass!" Kasamatsu groaned. "I was watching you, hoping you wouldn't make a fool of yourself. But of course, you hit on her, and he almost killed you. I can't believe you had the nerve to say something like that!"

"What are you talking about?" Moriyama shrugged. "Nothing bad happened."

"Look. You're just lucky that Kise didn't get serious with you," Kasamatsu sighed. "I've been at Kaijou for a while now and so have you. We both know that the current head of Kaijou is very traditional and we're used to him. But you haven't talked to Kise yet and I have. I got the feeling that for all his cheeriness, he's actually really serious when it comes down to it, and you might have been _killed_ if you had pushed him any further! You and I both know that he has connections we can't even dream of, starting with his _father_! How are you ever going to face him at work?"

"It wasn't that bad. Calm down," Moriyama waved him off. "I had the chance to talk to a very nice woman. Didn't push anything too far at all. If anything, she likes me enough to save me. So strange, but she knew I wasn't actually …Yukio, you seem mighty jealous for someone so angry."

Kasamatsu bristled, face turning slightly red at the sound of his first name. "I'm getting off. Go to hell, Moriyama."

"You should call me by my first name too."

_Punch._

"Urghh…" Moriyama groaned. "Are you serious?"

Kasamatsu grabbed his luggage bag and stormed out of the plane.

"Sweetheart, wait," Moriyama quickly snatched his things and followed the other male out. "Mon cher~ Mon petit chou~*"

"Seriously, why do I even bother with you?" Kasamatsu suddenly stopped in his track and turned around, cheeks bright red. "I hate you."

"I'll take that as you're telling me you love me," Moriyama laughed. "You know I love you and only you."

"Then will you stop flirting with every person you see? Dammit…"

At that, Moriyama's heart threatened to stop beating. "Yukio…"

Was it possible for a person to love another like this, so much that it hurt? It was why Moriyama kept wanting to tease, push, poke, prod at the other male until he exploded, lashed out like this. Call him sadistic, but he just loved seeing the surprisingly tsundere reactions from the otherwise calm and professional man. Sure, he loved flirting with pretty women, hell, all women, but at the end of the day, Kasamatsu was the only one for him.

Just look at his adorable blush and squirming embarrassment.

He knew Kasamatsu had been watching him in the plane, felt the need to bully him around but only in his strange, loving way. Plus, he really couldn't help it. Kasamatsu was so fun to play with, in more ways than one. If it wasn't for the fiery but efficient executive manager of the board of directors at Kaijou, Moriyama would never have turned out to be gay. Then again, he wasn't really gay, was he? It was just Kasamatsu after all.

The first time they'd met was three years ago, when they first entered Kaijou Company to work. They had both been just the average workers, until Kasamatsu had risen quite far up to the top with his skills. Moriyama wasn't too bad off himself but he was nothing compared to his lover.

How had he even first fallen for Kasamatsu? He couldn't even remember because there was nothing specific _to_ remember. Everything had just built on top of each other, until he realized they were constantly spending time together. There were the times when they had worked in the same office and Kasamatsu had fallen asleep at his desk, bags heavy under his eyes, lips slightly parted, hair mussed, with everything immaculate except for the document he was beginning to crinkle with his face. Moriyama had put his jacket over him, had taken care of the poor packet of paper, had done the rest of his work. More often than not, though, it happened to him too, his work finished by the other male.

Coffee breaks, all-nighters, wardrobe checks, they had spent every working minute together. Suddenly, but not actually suddenly, Moriyama found himself impossibly in love with the irascible man.

He thought he'd be surprised at the fact that he liked a man, but it didn't really bother him. If that was the way things were going to be, Moriyama didn't really care. To be sure, women were attractive creatures, every single one of them like a precious diamond.

So maybe it was more than a little ironic that he would fall so hopelessly for a guy like Kasamatsu, who had to be as straight as a board. Then it turned out that the verging-on-being-totally-homophobic Kasamatsu had been struggling with these kinds of feelings on his own too.

Cue the intense, hot sex.

Moriyama couldn't help but feel himself stirring at his thoughts and he distracted himself by taking Kasamatsu's luggage. Yet another advantage to having a male lover: he could be as rough as he wanted, do it as many times as he wanted, and Kasamatsu would never show weakness by saying that it hurt or that he was tired. Not that Moriyama ever wanted to treat Kasamatsu _that_ badly.

He stopped and Kasamatsu looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"Yukio…je t'aime*."

"Shut up." Kasamatsu shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking off. Moriyama chuckled and followed him easily.

"I'm sorry for making you jealous."

"I'm not jealous."

"Whatever you say." Moriyama chuckled, managing to maneuver the two of them so that he could kiss him. He heard the gasps of the passersby, the titters and giggles, but he didn't care.

Kasamatsu, though, did. Of course.

"What the fuck?!" Kasamatsu shoved him away, taking back his own luggage bag and all but sprinting out of the airport to grab a taxi.

"You looked so cute I couldn't help it!"

"You're seriously messed up. I hate you."

Moriyama laughed, easily chasing his lover. He got into the same taxi and watched Kasamatsu grumble as he looked out the window. They were here for business but what a coincidence that they should meet up with none other than Kaijou's heir and in the most romantic city in the world to boot.

He reached out and took Kasamatsu's hand in his, intertwining their fingers together. A warm, rough hand that had delivered too many punches but at the same time, always managed to stroke so gently and tenderly…

Shit. Well, he knew what he was going to do when they got to their hotel. They only needed one anyway, but Kasamatsu had _insisted _on having separate rooms.

He'd bother this man forever.

"I love you too."

* * *

**French translations:**

So this is my 4th year learning French but I'm by no means fluent in it. I'm quite terrible. So any native French peoples can make fun of me XD Plus my knowledge on France in general is pretty limited…

_Thanks Tess-chan (fangirlingprobs) for helping me~_

Bienvenue à Paris = welcome to Paris

Pour la lune de miel = for the honeymoon

Je ne parle pas le français = I don't speak French

Mais c'est tout que je peux dire = but that is all I can say

Ne t'inquiète pas = don't worry

Mon cher = my dear

Mon petit chou = my little cabbage (yep; this is a term of endearment)

Je t'aime = I love you

* * *

**About Moriyama: **He's just a "filler" character in this story, so he's not _super_ important, but I couldn't resist the temptation to add him especially since he's a part of Kaijou and all! XD In case you didn't know who he was, he's the guy who always says something along the lines of "I'll play for that pretty girl out in the audience!"

**Author's Note: **This chapter was written over the span of _months_ and I think I've burned my eyes out trying to edit it, so I gave up. I think I have some good parts, some slumps, so please bear with my mistakes. Also, I had debated for the longest time about making Kise a virgin but that just doesn't make much sense to me the way I portrayed him from the first chapter…

Stay tuned!

(I think Kuroko's true identity will be revealed to Kise _pretty_ soon!)


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